Tabula Rasa
by Katie of Gryffindor
Summary: WIP - Harry is having nightmares. Hermione and Ron get into a fight. Ron wants to help his two favorite people to just forget all their problems so they can be happy. What happens when Ron does a spell to help them out? CHAPTER 14 FINALLY UP! Read it NOW!
1. Chapter 01: Struggling

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DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters… tho owning Draco Malfoy could be quite fun… Oh, the things I could make that boy do… Ahem! See the AN's page for my full disclaimers.

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Author's Notes: I don't know if it's been done. I'm just doing my take on what might happen… I believe there may be slashy-ness in the fic at some point, so I'm going to warn you now. If you don't like slash, don't read my stuff. Easy as that. :-D So, I hope you all like the new fic! As with all my serials, there will be an author's notes page, so I'll do all my disclaiming and notes, etc. there. So don't expect any notes at the beginning of any more chapters after this. That's about all till I write the notes page, so without further ado… Enjoy. Embrace. Review.

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Tabula Rasa

By Katie of Gryffindor

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Chapter One

Struggling

Harry Potter stood in a dark forest. He could barely see the trees, but he knew they were there. He made to draw his wand, but found nothing in his pocket. He moved forward slowly, trying not to tread on any twigs lest his position be discovered. 

He squinted through his glasses, hoping they would help him see more than just darkness. He looked up and saw nothing but thick branches. No moon, no stars. Just black branches and leaves. He was starting to get more and more frightened. But he pressed on, hoping that maybe safety was somewhere ahead. After an undetermined amount of time, Harry stepped around a few trees and came to the edge of a clearing. 

Suddenly, a searing pain surged through his head, blinding him. He dropped to his knees, trying to push past it. Harry knew the pain well by now. _Voldemort._ Harry blinked away the debilitating ache to look around himself. 

Standing on the other side of the clearing was Lord Voldemort, grinning evilly at him. Flanking him were Peter Pettigrew and Lucius Malfoy, and writhing in the grass around the three men's feet was the gigantic snake Voldemort had dubbed Nagini. 

Harry set his jaw and stood proudly, fighting off the pain. He lifted his chin and stared down the Dark Lord. 

"So happy you could join us, young Potter," sneered Voldemort, his red eyes flashing with mirth. 

"Thanks for the invite," Harry sneered back. "Is there something you would like to talk to me about, or are you going to go about trying to kill me right off the bat like usual?"

Voldemort chuckled softly. "Ah, always the hero, Potter. Even when you aren't armed." He shook his head and tutted disapprovingly. "My dear Potter, you should not act so superior when I have everything you want and more."

Harry glowered at the snake-man standing before him. "You have nothing I want, Voldemort."

Voldemort tutted some more. "Oh, but I do." He brought his hand straight out before him and swept it out widely. 

Out of nowhere, about a dozen figures appeared on the ground before the Dark Lord. Harry watched as each unfolded themselves from the curled position they were sitting in and stood slowly. 

The first pair of faces Harry recognized were his parents. They were looking down their noses at him, hatred in their eyes. 

"Mum? Dad?" Harry whispered. 

That made the hatred in James and Lily's eyes burn brighter. 

The next face to the right of James Potter was that of Cedric Diggory. He too glowered down at Harry. Harry looked past his mother to another pair of men righting themselves. 

"Remus? Sirius?" 

His former professor and his godfather glared at him. Remus Lupin even growled. Harry just stood there, rooted to the spot, watching as more and more of the people he loved, both dead and alive, began appearing at the feet of Voldemort. By the time the last few figures were straightening themselves out, the others began to circle around Harry, sneering and throwing insults at the sixteen-year-old. 

"You are the reason I'm dead, Harry," hissed Cedric. 

"We never loved you," sneered Lily Potter.

"You were always screaming for attention and keeping us apart from each other," whispered James.

"You could never understand any of the things I taught you, Harry," mocked Remus. "That Patronus of yours was a fluke."

"I never gave a damn about you," jeered Sirius Black.

"You could never stay out of trouble, you little brat," cried Albus Dumbledore, hatred in his eyes.

"You always took the credit for everything we did," grumbled Ron Weasley.

"I was the one who always got the answers, but you got all the attention," growled Hermione Granger. 

"You have only brought danger into the lives of my family, you little monster," said Molly Weasley angrily.

"I've always been better than you at everything, Scar-Head," cracked Draco Malfoy.

"You were only put on the team because you were famous," taunted Oliver Wood. "You never had any real talent."

"I don't know why I ever liked you, you ugly git," scoffed Ginny Weasley.

"I shoulda never come teh fetch yeh," bellowed Rubeus Hagrid.

As all Harry's friends swarmed around him, ridiculing him, Voldemort looked on with a confident smile. "You see, Potter," said Voldemort happily. "I have all those people you thought loved you under my wing. You will never defeat me. Soon enough, I will break you. I will break you, and you will be nothing more than an empty shell."

"No!" screamed Harry, his hands clapped to his ears. "You're wrong. You're all wrong!" 

Voldemort watched Harry shaking his head, trying to block out the taunts of his loved ones. The Dark Lord threw his head back and cackled. 

"No!" cried Harry, tears streaming down his face. "Noooooooooo!"

~ " * " ~

Harry was awakened by his best friend, Ron Weasley. "Harry. Harry!"

Green eyes snapped open and met brilliant blue. 

"Harry, mate? Are you alright?"

Harry blinked. He looked wildly around, searching for Voldemort and the rest of his assailants. But they were nowhere to be seen. Instead of the ring of trees, there was only a rectangle of burgundy curtains. Instead of kneeling in dirt and grass, Harry was spread eagle on his bed, tangled up in his sheets. 

Ron was still there, but instead of staring at him in hatred, the red-head's startling blue eyes were showing only worry. "Another dream, then?" he asked quietly, putting a soothing hand on Harry's shoulder.

Harry nodded glumly. He sat up and untangled himself from the sheets, moving over a bit so Ron could have a seat. "It was horrible, Ron."

Ron scooted into bed next to his best friend. "Want to talk about it?"

Harry stared down at his hands. He sighed sadly.

"You don't have to, Harry," started Ron, but Harry shook his head.

"I think I need to. Maybe it'll help stop the dreams." Shining green eyes moved up to meet worried blue. Ron nodded and stayed quiet, waiting for Harry to speak again. "It was horrible, Ron. I was in the woods, with Vol- erm, You-Know-Who. Sorry. Anyway, he was there with Mister Malfoy and Wormtail, and then he somehow got my parents and Lupin and Sirius and Ced and all of you guys there…" A choked sob escaped Harry's lips. Ron slipped a long arm around the boy's shoulders. Harry took a shuddering breath and continued. "You were all saying such horrible things, about all the stuff wrong with me…" Harry dissolved into tears.

Ron put his other arm around Harry and hugged him close. "God, Harry, I'm sorry. It was just a dream. Remember that, Harry. Just a dream." Ron rocked his best friend slowly, running his hand over Harry's sweat-drenched hair, whispering over and over, "It was just a dream." 

The two best friends sat together in Harry's bed for a long time. Eventually, Harry stopped sobbing. Ron knew Harry had gone back to sleep. 

Ron leaned Harry back into his pillows. Harry snuggled into the pillows, not letting go of Ron. Any normal friend would have been bothered by this scene, but Ron was used to it now. Ever since fourth year, Harry had been screaming himself awake with nightmares. From the beginning of fifth year, Ron had been rocking Harry back to sleep. And since the beginning of sixth year, he'd stayed in Harry's bed for the rest of the nightmare-nights, so that he was there already if there were any more on the way.

Ron relaxed back into the pillows, too. He pulled the blankets over himself and up to his and his best friend's chins. He slipped a protective arm around Harry's waist, hoping it would sooth Harry, even a little. 

As he closed his eyes, he felt Harry snuggle closer to his own warmth. He chuckled softly and tightened his grip on the infamous boy.

Ron sighed heavily. He hated that Harry had so much trauma in his life, that he had to deal with so many after-effects. _I wish I could just make him forget…_ Ron sighed again and let sleep claim him slowly.

~ " * " ~

Hermione walked into the boys' dormitory the next morning, looking for her two favorite men. She found them the same place she often did. Wrapped up in each other, sleeping soundly in Harry's bed. 

An ordinary girl would have been very upset by the scene, especially since one of the two boys was her boyfriend. But Hermione was no ordinary girl. She was amused by the sight of the two best friends curled up together. In fact, she found it to be rather adorable. 

But the thought only lingered in her mind for a minute. They were all going to be late for class if these two lazy bums did not get out of bed. She drew her wand, a wicked smile forming on her lips. 

BANG!

Hermione set off several blasts from her wand tip, each sounding like a shotgun. 

After the first one, the two sixteen-year-old wizards sat bolt upright in bed. The second had them groggily grabbing for their wands and Harry for his glasses. The third had them unsteadily on their feet on the mattress, Harry blindly waving around what he thought was his wand and Ron armed with a pillow. The fourth sent their eyes searching the room for the cause. And the fifth and final blast had four angry eyes trained on her.

"_Hermione!_" yelped Harry, grabbing at the covers and trying to shield his scantily clad body from the girl. After all, he and Ron both only ever slept in boxer shorts.

Ron lowered the pillow grumpily and set his free hand on his flannel-clad hip. "I am so going to get you for that one day, girl."

Hermione was too engrossed in her current activity to take notice of the angry glares she was receiving. What was Hermione so engrossed in? She was currently on her knees, banging on the floor and laughing her head off. After all, seeing two of the most powerful wizards of their year wobbling around on a bed dressed in skimpy boxer shorts and waving around a pillow and a skinny candle was a scene of pure hilarity.

Harry looked down at the candle in his hands. "Damn," he said angrily. "I really thought I had grabbed my wand this time." 

This statement only made Hermione fall over on her side and laugh even harder. The two boys glared at her and got off the bed carefully. As the two cranky Gryffindors went to their respective wardrobes to grab robes for the day, the giggling girl on the floor fought to regain her control.

"Oh, Merlin," she giggled. "That never ceases to bring me amusement." Hermione gasped for air as she felt another laughing fit coming on. "The-the-the looks on your faces…" she stammered. "Priceless!" she squealed before dissolving into laughter again. 

Harry and Ron glared at her again as they made for the showers. 

"You are going to get it, Hermione," said Harry, pointing a threatening finger at the girl wriggling on the floor.

With that, the best friends left their room, the female third of their famous trio still on the floor laughing madly.

~ " * " ~

Harry, Ron, and Hermione sat in their usual places before the fire that night in Gryffindor Tower. They always took the last hour or so of every day to just sit and talk. No homework, no games. Just talking. About what life had thrown their way so far, usually. But tonight was a little different. Hermione had asked Harry what he wanted to do after life at Hogwarts.

"After Hogwarts?" Harry stared at the girl. "Merlin, I don't know." Harry sat back in the crimson armchair, a contemplative look on his face. 

Hermione looked surprised. "You mean you haven't thought about it at all?" she asked, scandalized.

Harry shook his head. "No, not really. I mean, there were the passing 'where-do-I-go-from-here' kind of thoughts, but they were usually gone pretty fast." He shrugged. 

"That's incredible. We're going to be out in the real world in less than two years, and you've no idea what you want to be doing!" Hermione shook her head, amazed. She started playing with the fringe of a pillow on the couch she was curled up on.

"What, and you've got your whole life planned, 'Mione?" asked Ron from the other half of the couch.

Hermione looked back at him calmly. "Not my whole life," she said defensively. "But at least the first few years after school." She stared at the two boys. "You should be really thinking about what you want to do."

"Christ, Hermione, we're sixteen years old! There are only five things I think about right now." Ron held up one hand, his fingers splayed out. He ticked them off as he mentioned each of his concerns. "How far away my next meal is, whether or not my homework is done, how well my Quidditch team is doing, how to best get that git Malfoy expelled, and if my girlfriend is in one of her moods again." As soon as the last of his worries left his lips, Ron knew he was in trouble. 

Harry curled himself into the armchair, knowing if he moved to leave that he, too, would bear the wrath of Hermione. _Three… Two… One…_

"One of my moods?" she shrieked. "My _moods_? What pray tell is included in one of my _moods_?" Her voice had gone dreadfully quiet. Many of the other Gryffindors outside of her line of sight began to move toward the dormitory stairs. They knew how bad Hermione could get once she was set off.

Ron held up his hands, trying to backpedal. "No, what I meant was-"

"How _dare_ you. I can't believe how insensitive you are. I do _not_ have 'moods,' as you call them." Hermione was turning purple. "What _exactly_ do you mean by my 'moods,' Ronald Weasley?"

Ron glanced at Harry helplessly. Harry shook his head. He was not about to get into the middle of this. Ron stared back at his furious girlfriend. "Hermione, I-"

"_What_ do you mean by 'moods,' Ron?" she hissed.

"I-I-I-" Ron looked at Hermione, terrified. He knew he wouldn't be able to get out of this without answering. He stared down at his sneakers and mumbled, "Your P.M.S. moods."

"WHAT?!?" she roared. "Ron, I can not believe that you could be so amazingly insensitive. You _prick_! You blithering _idiot_! How dare you?! Don't you _dare_ even _think_ about talking to me for a _very_ long time, unless you want me to hex your dick off!" 

With that, Hermione turned on her heel and stormed up the stairs to her room. A few seconds later, the tower shook as she slammed her door. 

"Well, that went well," said Ron dejectedly. He plopped back onto the couch and put his head in his hands. 

Harry got up and moved to sit next to Ron. "Just give her a few days, and then apologize. And a couple dozen roses wouldn't hurt either."

Ron groaned.

~*~TBC~*~


	2. Chapter 02: Finding

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Chapter Two

Finding

A week passed since Ron and Hermione's blow-out. She still would not even look at the red-head. Harry felt for his best friends. Hermione was obviously really hurt by Ron's insensitivity. And Ron was obviously really sorry he had opened his big mouth. But Hermione was too stubborn to think about forgiving Ron any time soon.

Harry had been splitting his time between the two. He would alternate nights chatting by the fire with his two best friends. When they were with Harry, each would bemoan the situation, but both were so mulish that neither would make the first move to fix things.

Tonight, Harry was spending his time with Ron. They were sitting on either end of the couch Ron and Hermione had shared the night of the argument. 

"Harry, what am I going to do?" moaned Ron. He stared absently into the fire.

Harry shrugged. "I don't know, mate. She's pretty upset."

Ron turned to look at Harry. "Has she said what I could do to make it up to her?"

Harry shook his head. "No, not yet. I think she's waiting for your move, though."

Ron sighed. "But how am I supposed to do anything if she won't even talk to me?"

Harry shrugged again. "I don't know, mate. I don't know."

Ron stared back into the fire. "I just wish I could make her forget the whole thing."

Harry nodded. After that the two boys went silent, losing themselves in their thoughts.

~ " * " ~

Harry walked across the grounds alone. He shuddered as a cool breeze ruffled his jeans. He looked down and realized he had gotten dressed before he left the dormitory. Harry shook his head. _Why can't I remember that?_ He started walking toward the lake. 

The lake was always a calming place for him. The quiet waters lapping against the shore, the giant squid drifting around lazily… It brought him peace. And with the situation between Ron and Hermione, he needed peace. 

He sat down by the lakeshore and brought his knees up to his chin. He slid his eyes closed and enjoyed the quiet sounds of nature. The small waves of the lake. The wind blowing past his ears. The soft hooting of owls overhead. The rustling of robes.

Wait.

Rustling of robes?

Harry's eyes snapped open. He looked around himself. There were dozens of tall robed figures closing in on him. He scrambled to his feet and fished in his pocket for his wand. He shivered as a sudden wave of cold came upon him.

A whimper came from behind him. "_Nooo_," came the moan. "_Noooo…please…_"

Harry looked up as the dark hooded creatures came floating toward him. They seemed to have multiplied in the last minute. There was at least a hundred now. He started to hear yelling voices in his head.

"Hermione, think of something happy," yelled Harry over his shoulder. He knew Hermione was there somewhere, even if she hadn't been two minutes ago.

Harry stood between the dementors and his godfather, trying to conjure a Patronus. "_Expecto Patronum! Expecto Patronum!_" 

Harry felt Sirius shudder and roll onto his back. He had passed out again, just like last time in third year. "_Expecto Patronum!_ Hermione! Come on! _Expecto Patronum!_" 

Hermione tried. But the dementors' rattling breath was sucking out all the happy thoughts from her mind. She passed out, too.

Harry looked over his shoulder. Both Sirius and Hermione were splayed out on the grass, unconscious. Harry shook off the dark feeling that said he was not going to get out of this, and turned back toward the dementors. 

"_EXPECTO PATRONUM_!" he bellowed. A tiny wisp of silver floated out of the wand, but the dementor waved it away easily. 

"No! I'm innocent! I'm innocent!" cried Harry. The dementor lowered his hood to reveal the sickeningly gray scabbed skin and the eye-less face. The dementor came at him, gaping mouth poised to suck his soul out.

Harry tried to shake it off, but the gray hands had him tightly around his neck. He was being pulled slowly toward the thing's mouth. Harry wondered again what it would be like to have his soul sucked out of his body through his mouth. Harry twisted his head violently. "No!" he cried again. "I-I'm innocent! I didn't- I'm _innocent_!"

__

~ " * " ~

"Harry!" Ron shook Harry by the shoulders. "Harry, come on, mate. Wake up."

Harry's eyes snapped open. He was panting heavily, his voice hoarse.

"Which one was it tonight, Harry?" asked Ron as he slipped under Harry's blankets.

Harry sighed. "The night I almost got the kiss," he said.

Ron nodded. He remembered that night vaguely. He only knew the stories from when Harry almost got the kiss, though. He himself had been knocked out by his ex-rat, Peter Pettigrew, several minutes before Harry and Hermione and Sirius had been swarmed by the dementors. But the stories were scary enough. He could not imagine what Harry must have seen. He wrapped Harry up in a tight hug. "I'm sorry, Harry. I'm sorry I wasn't there to help."

Harry sighed again. "That's Wormtail's fault. Not yours." Harry looked into his best friend's eyes. "Besides," he said with a small smile. "You wouldn't have done much good."

Ron pulled back a bit in mock offense. "Hey! I would have done just fine," he exclaimed.

"Sure," said Harry with a laugh. "Broken leg and all." 

Ron glared at Harry. "Oh, sod off. Go back to sleep." He smiled at his best friend. "I would have done fine with the Patronus," he mumbled. 

Harry snuggled into Ron's arms. "Sure, you would have," he mumbled back. 

The two boys settled under Harry's covers to let sleep take over their minds once more.

Ron's last thought before he was claimed by dreams was this: _How can I help him forget…_

~ " * " ~

The next afternoon, while Harry and Hermione were spending their afternoon together, Ron made for the Library. Yes, Ron went to the Library all by himself.

He went to Madam Pince right away. He had no clue where he would start his search, so he asked her. But he had to do a bit of truth-bending. She would never help him if she knew what he needed the help with…

After a lot of sweet-talking and a few compliments sent the librarian's way, Pince handed over a hefty book. 

"Here you go, Mister Weasley. I don't want that book out of the library, however. Do you understand?"

Ron nodded quickly. "Of course, Ma'am. I'm just going to go over there and read about this spell." He pointed at an empty table. "Thank you for your help," he said politely. She nodded curtly and went back to her work.

Ron walked over to the vacant table to which he had pointed. He set his bag into one chair and sunk into the one beside his bag. He set the book carefully on the table and opened to the table of contents. 

This book was organized so that even the most dense wizard could find their way around it. The contents page listed each spell in the book and had a short description of exactly what each spell did. 

Ron trailed a finger down the row of spells, occasionally stopping to check a description. After a few minutes, Ron found a spell that was exactly what he needed. 

He pulled out a quill, ink, and a piece of parchment. Then he turned to the corresponding page in the book. After checking that Madam Pince was wrapped up in reorganizing the card catalog, Ron set about scribbling out the necessary ingredients and the incantation he had to recite. 

Every couple lines of writing, he threw a look over his shoulder to make sure Pince wasn't watching him. But she wasn't. _Thank Merlin this is one of those ignore-all-students days Hermione told Harry and me about,_ Ron thought with a smile. The thought of Hermione, though, hurt and the smile faded faster than it had come. Ron sighed heavily and just scribbled faster. 

After a couple minutes of writing, Ron had everything written out. He let the parchment sit for a moment to dry as he put away the ink and quill. Then, when he was satisfied with the dryness of the page, he folded it carefully and tucked it away in his bag.

He stood then and closed the book carefully. He picked up his bag and threw it over his shoulder. He tucked the chairs neatly under the table. Then he picked up the heavy book and carried it back to the librarian. 

"Thank you very much, Madam Pince," said Ron cheerfully. 

Pince looked up at the red-head and nodded curtly once again. "You're welcome. I trust you found whatever it was you needed?"

"Yes, ma'am," said Ron. He smiled at her and walked quickly out of the Library. _Now all I need is the ingredients…_

~*~TBC~*~


	3. Chapter 03: Casting

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Chapter Three

Casting

Harry and Hermione were sitting in front of the fire when Ron walked into the common room. Ron would have just left Harry and Hermione alone, since he and Hermione were still not talking. But Ron decided that he wanted to just apologize and get things over with.

Hermione looked up, surprised, when her boyfriend sat in the armchair next to her end of the couch. She put a skeptical look on her face and waited for her boyfriend to state his purpose in interrupting her and Harry's conversation.

Ron looked at Hermione sadly, repentantly. " 'Mione? I-" He stopped a second, collecting himself. Then he pressed on. "Hermione, I'm sorry. I am such a prat. I didn't mean that stuff I said. I-I just want to go back to talking to you. Please forgive me?" He looked up at her hopefully.

Hermione's façade broke a minute after Ron had stopped talking. She broke down, tears streaming down her face. "I know you didn't mean it. But that doesn't mean I'm alright with you saying it in the first place." She poked him hard on the arm. "My _moods_, Ron? That was just _cold_!" 

Ron stared down at his sneakers. "I know. And I am sorry. Real sorry. Can we be allowed to talk again?"

Hermione sighed, brushing away a couple tears. "I suppose so. But don't think this means I fully forgive you. Not yet."

Ron nodded. "Alright." He looked up at her nervously. "Can I give you a hug? I've missed it."

Hermione let out a choked laugh. "Come here." 

Ron stood and moved to the couch. He wrapped his long arms around his girlfriend and squeezed. "I missed you," he whispered.

"I missed you, too," she said. 

Harry made to get up and leave the two alone, but Ron pulled back from Hermione and grabbed his arm, stopping him. "Where are you going?"

"Well," said Harry quietly. "I was just going to leave." He looked at Ron, obviously holding back a smile. "I mean, since my hugs are no longer _appreciated_…"

Ron and Hermione laughed. "Get over here, you git," said Ron with a smile. The three best friends put their arms around each other and everyone squeezed tight. 

Harry was the first to pull away. "Finally," he said. "You two are such pains when you're fighting!" The three friends laughed and settled into the couch all together.

They sat in silence for a while, staring into the flames, just happy that they were all together again. Then one of their usual conversations struck up, and it was just as it should have been before Ron and Hermione's fight.

~ " * " ~

Over the next few days, things were still strained between Ron and Hermione, but Harry knew that it would pass soon enough. They never really stayed mad at each other for too long. _Of course, there was that once In third year… and that time in fourth year… But they weren't dating yet. So those don't count…_ Harry sighed. His two best friends were fabulous, and they had been there for him so many times in the past. _But they're both nutters, _he thought, smiling.

The three of them were now waiting to go out to Care of Magical Creatures. They had a half hour-long break, so they decided to hang out in the common room for a bit. 

Harry flopped into a cushy armchair and threw his feet over the back of the chair. "So," he said as he flipped himself upside down. "What do you think of our lack of uniforms this week?" He tugged at the long-sleeved tee shirt he was wearing with his magically-shrunk-to-fit-right jeans.

Ron grinned, looking at his best friend's reddening face. "I think it's a nice change." He glanced down at his jeans and black Chudley Cannons sweatshirt. "Robes are too warm sometimes."

Hermione sat primly on a couch and crossed her legs at the knees. She was wearing an ankle-length gray skirt and a pretty blue V-neck, three-quarter-length-sleeved shirt. "I don't mind either way, really. Uniforms are something to keep all of us on the same level socially… We don't have to worry as much about how we look and-"

Harry waved a hand. "Oh, 'Mione. We've all heard all that balderdash a million times before. Stop spouting what all the study digests say and tell us what you really think." He crossed his arms, his face turning more pink.

Hermione glared at the upside-down Boy-Who-Lived. She was about to say something but she just stopped… 

And snorted.

"What?" asked Harry innocently.

"You look really funny with your hair all sticking up, and your face turning purple," said Hermione through a giggle. 

A smirking Ron nodded. "You do, mate."

Harry grinned. "Well, it's comfortable…" He started to slid his feet down off the back of the chair. "And the best part…" He threw his feet over his head and somersaulted out of the chair. He stood up unsteadily, the color rushing out of his face. "…is the standing up part. Quite a head rush."

The three Gryffindors laughed. Harry collapsed onto the table in front of Hermione and Ron's couch. He shook his head once and beamed at his best friends. "Whew! What fun." He glanced down at his watch. "Oh. Just about time."

The three friends stood up and stretched lazily. None of them seemed to feel like walking out to Hagrid's hut for class. It was a sentiment often felt by many Hogwarts students, as Hagrid's love of scary and dangerous magical creatures had not ebbed in the slightest over the years. 

They were picking up their knapsacks when Ron started toward the dormitory stairs. 

"Ron, where are you going?" called Harry. "We'll be late!"

Ron stopped at the bottom of the stairs and turned back to look at Harry and Hermione. "I forgot my _Monster Book of Monsters_ in our room, Harry."

Hermione crossed her arms grumpily. "You know how I hate to be late, Ron. Hurry up!"

Ron started up the stairs. He glanced back at his classmates. "Go without me. I'll catch you up."

"You sure, Ron?" asked Harry, moving to the common room exit.

Ron nodded. "Yeah, go on. I'll catch you up."

Harry and Hermione called their goodbyes and stepped out of the portrait hole. 

Meanwhile, Ron was upside-down in his trunk, going through the things stored there. "Where did they go?" He rifled through his belongings again, and finally found what he was looking for. "Ah ha!" 

Ron righted himself and pulled out a small satchel. He got off his knees and dusted them off. He carried the satchel down to before the fireplace. As it was a relatively nice day out, there was no fire going. _Makes things easy_, thought Ron. _No real fire to worry about, so the spell won't be messed up…_

He knelt down on the hearth and dumped the contents of the satchel out on the stone. Several sprigs of small pink flowers on dark brown wood tumbled out, along with a clear crystal. He went to his bag and pulled out the folded piece of parchment he had the incantation written on and walked back to the hearth.

Ron unfolded the parchment and held it tightly, praying this spell would work. He looked over the list at the top of the page. "Right. _Crystal_. Got that. _Lethe's Bramble_. Got that. _Fire_. Easily created. Right then. I'm ready."

He picked out one of the bits of flower and twig, and set it inside the fireplace. He drew his wand and set the branch on fire. As he did this, he read the incantation off the parchment and set his wand quickly back into his pocket.

"_For Harry and Hermione, this I char._

Let Lethe's Bramble do its chore.

Purge their minds of memories grim,

Of pains from recent slights and sins."

As Ron said the next bit of the incantation, he held the tip of the crystal in the fire. The crystal glowed for a second, and then reverted to its clear crystalline state.

"_When the fire goes out, _

When the crystal turns black,

The spell will be cast."

Ron pulled the crystal out of the fire and rolled it into his palm and recited the last spell words.

"_Tabula Rasa_

Tabula Rasa

Tabula Rasa."

Ron got up from his knees and dusted off the ashes. He folded up the parchment and stuffed into his bag. The crystal he put safely into the pocket of his robes. Then he hurried out of the empty common room, letting the small fire inside the fireplace work the magic he needed.

~*~TBC~*~


	4. Chapter 04: Forgetting

****

Chapter Four

Forgetting

Harry and Hermione came up on the heavy front doors. Harry stepped forward and pushed one door open, gesturing for Hermione to pass through. She smiled at him and nodded. "Thanks, Harry." 

As Harry was about to step out himself, Draco Malfoy stormed out the door after Hermione. "Yes, thanks a bunch, Wonder Boy." 

Harry growled and stepped out the door. "You bloody git…"

Draco glanced down at himself appraisingly. "Nope," he said, looking back up. "Not bloody. But you could be if you keep up this 'holier-than-thou' thing." He glanced over Harry's shoulder at Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle, who were just coming out of the castle. "I definitely could arrange things for you, if you'd like."

Harry and Hermione glared at Draco. "Sod off, Malfoy," sneered Hermione.

"Or what, Mudblood?" asked Draco scathingly. Suddenly, Draco felt a tap on his shoulder. Raising an eyebrow, he turned to face his assailant.

Ron's fist connected solidly with the blonde Slytherin's stomach. As Draco doubled over in pain, Ron smirked down at him. "Or that, Malfoy," stated Ron. With a chuckle, he, Hermione, and Harry walked off toward Hagrid's hut.

Draco flipped his head back, and the hairs loosened by the sudden doubling-over were thrown out of his face. His gray eyes flashed dangerously. Vinny and Greg made to go after the Gryffindor Trio, but Draco held out an arm to stop them. "Don't. Not just now." He straightened slowly, grimacing from the pain of the blow. He squared his shoulders proudly. "We'll get them later. Come on."

The three Slytherins made their way down to the gamekeeper's house, the trademark Malfoy sneer set into the pale leader's features.

~ " * " ~

Out on the Hogwarts grounds, the sixth-year Slytherins and Gryffindors were congregated in front of Hagrid's hut, looking around for their newest feature creature. Hagrid emerged a minute later, Fang close at his heels. "Afternoon, all!" he called. He waved them over. "C'mon. Got 'em in a pen just over there." Hagrid pointed at the edge of the forest, almost out of sight. There was indeed a four-foot tall fence creating a large pen, a square of about ten feet on each side. The pen was just visible from Hagrid's hut. Hagrid's students all gathered their things and followed him to the pen. 

Once they got there, a few brave students, all Gryffindors, peered over the fence. There was a gathering of fifteen fuzzy multi-colored creatures. They looked like Old English Sheepdog puppies, their dazzling fur hanging in their eyes. The furry things had pointier noses than a sheepdog, and their legs were much shorter than the average puppy's. It looked as though the things had rolled around in some sort of paint, but each a different color. All in all, they were rather cute, as was professed by several of the girls. 

"Wittulsnees!" cried Hagrid cheerily. "Got one fer each of yeh. Go on, then. Pick yerselves out one!" The students all gazed up at their teacher warily. They had learned to be on guard at all times in Hagrid's class. 

Hagrid was known for his love of dangerous animals. He would often pick out interesting creatures for them to study… But they were almost never completely safe. 

All fourteen sixth-years stared back and forth between Hagrid and their would-be charges. Hagrid picked one of the fuzz balls up and smiled down at the Gryffindors and Slytherins. "See? Real friendly-like, these ones are." 

As they watched, the wittulsnee Hagrid had picked turned from the sickly olive green it had been to a bright sunny yellow. The little ball of fluff had an extremely long blue tongue lolling merrily out of its mouth. The wittulsnee looked down from its perch on Hagrid's shoulder and surveyed the teens staring up at it. The yellow ball of fuzz then turned to Hagrid, sniffed him once and then licked the teacher on the cheek. The girls all giggled and everyone glanced into the pen still holding the other fourteen wittulsnees. 

Hagrid grinned as the Gryffindors started carefully grabbing out wittulsnees. He started listing off their traits as the Slytherins all grimaced but picked out a fuzz ball. Hagrid told the class that the wittulsnees changed their color according to whoever's arms it was in at the time. The color the wittulsnee was at birth is actually retained in the animal's tongue, but they usually never revert back to that color, favoring their wizard master's ideal color instead. The species was capable of sensing a witch or wizard's favorite color and turning its fur to that color. This was done as a sort of habitat-maintenance thing because the happier their masters were with them, the longer they were allowed to remain with the families. Wittulsnees, according to Hagrid, were once very common household pets, since they never shed much and they needed very little looking-after. 

Hagrid also told the class that wittulsnees had very potent nasal mucus that was used as one of the ingredients to most sleeping potions. 

Harry was currently holding a brilliant scarlet wittulsnee whose fur would occasionally have a ripple of gold go through it. Hermione's wittulsnee was deep purple and nuzzling under the crook of her arm, starting to snore quietly. Ron's wittulsnee, a very hyperactive orange one, was the exact color that his favorite Quidditch team, the Chudley Cannons, wore for every game. 

Harry watched as his classmates played happily with their new fluffy friends. Some of the wittulsnees, like Ron's, were very hyperactive and seemed to have very short attention spans. They frequently decided they needed a change of scenery, or at least a change of fur. In any case, several of the wittulsnees would, at random intervals, crawl away from their current handlers in favor of someone new.

Hermione's wittulsnee woke up again and nudged at her hand with its furry nose. She giggled and glanced up at Hagrid. "Hagrid? How come no one keeps a wittulsnee as a pet anymore? They're just lovely!" The wittulsnee now started sniffing at her neck, where a golden pendent bearing her name hung. She giggled and pushed away its nose carefully, quietly saying, "Stop, that tickles!"

Hagrid looked up from the lemon-colored wittulsnee he was holding. "Oh. Din't I tell yeh? Wittulsnees're allergic to lots o' things that wizards keep 'round the house. And yeh've got ter remember ter stay away from 'em when they're about ter sneeze. If yer hit full on with their snot, yer could be knocked out fer a while."

Neville's wittulsnee decided to take that particular moment to demonstrate. Neville was holding the pale blue-haired wittulsnee up so that they were nose to nose when the creature sneezed heavily. Neville, who had not been paying attention to Hagrid, smiled amusedly. "Bless y-" In mid-sentence, Neville keeled over on the spot, out cold. The wittulsnee wriggled out of Neville's limp fingers and scuttled over to Hermione, curling up next to the deep purple wittulsnee already in the girl's lap. Neville's wittulsnee slowly turned the same color as its compatriot.

Poor Neville's wittulsnee had apparently caused a chain reaction, because several more of the fur balls started to sneeze. Many of the students managed to get out of the line of fire, but three Slytherins were sprayed lightly by the allergic animals' sneezes. They and their house mates scooted away from the pandemonium while the Gryffindors, save the unconscious Neville, helped round up the sneezing balls of fluff. Hagrid managed to scoop up half the wittulsnees in one grab, and the Gryffindors caught the rest. 

A minute later, Lavender Brown and Dean Thomas were putting the last two wittulsnees into the pen. Their hands were almost all the way out without either of them getting caught by a sneeze when the green one Dean had just released jumped up to say goodbye to the pair. Lavender could not help herself and she reached into the pen to pet the wittulsnee one last time. Dean made to grab her hand out when the wittulsnee sneezed again. Both of them caught a bit.

"You just _had_ to say goodbye, didn't you?" grumbled Dean. They yawned at each other. 

None of the other Gryffindors had gotten caught by a wittulsnee sneeze. But Vinny, Greg, and Millicent Bulstrode of Slytherin had all gotten hit, along with Dean, Lavender, and the still-out-cold Neville. Hagrid even managed to get hit. 

Hagrid yawned widely before he leaned down to hoist Neville into his arms. He yawned again and started toward the Hospital Wing. "All of yeh what got sprayed, follow me ter see Madam Pomfrey." He yawned again. "The rest o' yeh stay put. I'll send someone out ter collect yeh." He turned and trudged off in the direction of the castle, the affected students following and yawning.

~ " * " ~

Up in the deserted Gryffindor Tower, a small fire burned away. The flames crackled merrily, devouring a small branch of Lethe's Bramble. The fire seemed to have a life of its own, dancing for no one but itself. Not wanting to be extinguished, the flames looked around at their immediate surroundings.

There, just within reach, a larger pile of the same delicious wood and flowers was laying unattended. A tiny spark made the jump, landing in the middle of the branches. Happily, the spark grew, turning the small pile of branches into charred remains of what was once Ron's extra bunches of Lethe's Bramble.

~ " * " ~

Draco Malfoy watched the lumbering oaf that was his teacher disappear around the corner of the Forbidden Forest, his classmates straggling along behind. He smirked evilly and turned back to face his foes. "What a blundering idiot," the blonde sneered. 

Black hair wiped around, turning green eyes to face the speaker. "Don't you dare start in on Hagrid again, Malfoy," said Harry quietly.

"What's wrong, Potty? Don't like having your giant laughed at?" asked Draco, a would-be innocent smile set uncomfortably on his lips.

Harry advanced on the Slytherin, growling. "Stuff it, Malfunction. Otherwise, you're sure to be very sorry."

Draco advanced as well. "And why would I be sorry, Scar-Face? Because I wouldn't get to kick your ass as long as I really wanted to?"

Harry smiled deviously as he came within inches of his rival. "No, my dear _Draco_," he said in an almost-whisper. "Because of this." A fist connected solidly with the blonde's toned stomach.

Draco's gray eyes flashed dangerously. After a moment of recovery from the sudden blow, Draco roared and swept one leg out and behind Harry's knees, bringing the raven-haired teen to the ground. Draco pounced on Harry and they began to wrestle. They tumbled around in the grass, each boy landing punch after punch.

After a few rolls in the dirt, Draco managed to pin Harry on his back. He glowered down at Harry. "Give up, Potter?"

Harry's green eyes narrowed to thin slits. "Never." He sent another fist flying toward Draco's cheek.

~ " * " ~

Meanwhile, Blaise and Pansy were joking about Hagrid's blunder during class. "Can you believe it?" sniggered Blaise. "That dunderhead has managed to screw up yet another lesson."

"Yeah," giggled Pansy, leaning on the boy's shoulder. "How he's survived as a teacher here after so many disasters is beyond me. Just look at all the Slytherins that have gotten hurt during one of his classes!" She ended her statement with a dramatic sigh, the back of her hand brought to her forehead in a look of distress.

"You shut up about Hagrid," cried Hermione, her wand drawn.

Blaise laughed and looked down his nose at her in disgust. "What's it to you, Mudblood?" he sneered.

Ron pushed Hermione out of the way and into Seamus Finnigan's arms. "Don't call her that," he growled. He pointed his wand at the dark-haired Slytherin. 

"Why not, Weasel?" asked Blaise mockingly. "What are you and your rinky-dink, second-hand wand going to do about it?"

Ron sent a curse at Blaise, but the Slytherin anticipated it and shoved Pansy into the redhead. Pansy jostled Ron's wand as she toppled into him and the sparks of the hex were sent sailing over Blaise's head and into the forest. Ron would have been happy to know there was a giant spider wobbling around the Forbidden Forest, all eight legs shaking madly under its huge hairy body. The poor unsuspecting spider had been hit by Ron's extremely powerful and well-refined Jelly-Legs curse. Well, Ron _would _have been proud of himself for incapacitating the giant spider if there had not been an blonde Slytherin girl lying on top of him.

As soon as Parvati saw Blaise knock Ron over with Pansy, she shrieked in anger and pounced on the dark-haired boy's back. She slapped and punched at him, shrieking in his ear. Every couple seconds she would throw in a kick or two. 

"Draco, help me get this bloody banshee off!" cried Blaise, turning his bright blue eyes to his best friend. Draco and Harry were still beating each other senseless.

"Be right there," called Draco. The angry blonde boy was on top of a glaring Harry once again. "Just have to take care of you," he said to the Gryffindor. 

"You wish, Malfoy," said Harry. He sent another punch Draco's way, but Draco dodged it easily and sent his fist straight into Harry's nose. 

Harry grimaced and made to stare up at Draco in hatred, but a sudden wave of sleepiness came over him. His last conscious thought before the blackness enveloped him was, _Maybe one of the wittulsnees _did_ get me…_

Draco stared down at the shuttered green eyes with contempt and pride. "Hey Blaise, I think I finally knocked him out!" Draco turned to look for his roommate. "Wait, Blaise? What did you say?" Draco's gray eyes searched the air above him, but there was no one standing around. Draco looked down at the unconscious Gryffindor. _I got him this-_ Draco never got to finish his thought, however, as a shroud of black wrapped around his mind as well. He fell to the side, his leg and arm flopped across Harry's body, blonde hair hitting Harry's shoulder softly.

~ " * " ~

Three Slytherins and five Gryffindors lay unconscious in the grass just out of view of the looming spires of Hogwarts Castle. In the pocket of the redheaded Gryffindor, a once clear crystal had turned obsidian, as dark as a star-less sky.

And all was forgotten.

~*~TBC~*~


	5. Chapter 05: Waking

****

Chapter Five

Waking

A young man stirred from his slumber, tightening his arm around the body lying next to him. He left his eyes closed, trying to remember where he was… In fact, he tried to remember _who_ he was. He slid a hand down to feel the arm of whoever it was beside him. _Feels like a guy's arm,_ he thought. Confused eyes slipped open to take in his surroundings. 

He turned his head, and there was a blonde teenaged boy lying there. The first teen looked at the sleeping blonde. There was a vague feeling of familiarity about this blonde, but he had no idea who he might be. But he felt a very strong connection to the blonde for some reason. 

The blonde was waking now. He felt a comfortable warmth lying close to him. He tightened his arm around the warm body, curling a leg around the closest leg to him. But for the life of him, the blonde could not remember who it could be. 

He opened his eyes slowly and found a pair of startlingly beautiful green eyes staring at him. _They're beautiful eyes,_ thought the blonde boy. After taking in the emerald beauty shielded by wire-framed glasses, his eyes trailed over the rest of the black-haired boy. He could not think of who this person was. Come to think of it, he did not even know who he was. _Must be a minor case of amnesia. I'm sure it'll come to me…_

He looked back at the raven-haired teen's face and examined it closely. He took in the messy hair, and slightly tanned features. Hidden under the untidy fringe, there was a small scar. Over all, the blonde had a sense that he knew this other boy, and had for a long time. He felt a powerful link to the boy. But he still had no clue who this boy was, how either of them got here, or even where here was. It was rather confusing.

The raven-haired teen stared at the blonde, trying to figure out what their connection was. But to no avail. He watched as the gray eyes scanned over himself, and hoped that this boy would know who he was. No such luck, it seemed. The dark-haired boy looked at the blonde boy and did what came natural.

A lopsided smile came to the black-haired boy's lips. The blonde found it fairly enchanting. He could not help but smile back. The blonde found that to be an alien feeling, though. _Don't I usually smile?_

~ " * " ~

A girl snuggled closer to the cozy lump she was curled up next to. A small smile spread easily across her lips as the arms around her tightened. But the smile faded even faster than it had come. 

She could not remember to whom the comfy arms were attached. She racked her brain, trying to come up with a name, a face, anything… But she could not remember anything about herself, let alone whoever she was all snuggly with. She opened her eyes to see if maybe the face would spark a memory. She saw only a chest and a chin. She lifted her head from the strong chest so she could get a better view. 

The boy's eyes were closed. _I guess he's still asleep?_ Her eyes roved over the boy's features. _Sandy-colored hair, nice lips, not a bad body… _The girl pushed a bunch of bushy hair out of her face and looked back at the boy's face. She had an inkling that she knew this boy, but she had not the slightest idea from where. As she watched, the boy's eyes slid open. Twinkling hazel eyes stared up at her. 

The sandy-haired boy's first sight was two confused chocolaty brown eyes staring into his. A sly grin spread across his face. _Now who is _this_ lovely lady?_ The girl smiled back timidly. His eyes wandered away from her eyes, finding a delightfully nice body, and bushy brown hair. He only wished he knew her name. 

He smiled at her again and, with the Irish lilt he did not remember he had, he said, "Hey there."

She raised an hesitant eyebrow. "Hey?"

~ " * " ~

Yet another young man opened his eyes slowly. _Where am I?_ he thought vaguely. Then- _Who am I? I should at least know that… Why don't I know who I am?_ The teen was laying on his stomach. When his eyes opened, all he saw was dirt and grass. He could not think of why he was laying on the ground. Suddenly, he felt the slightest touch on his shoulder. He turned over and stared into deep brown eyes. _Who is _she_?_

The girl lay on her side, an arm across someone's backside. She felt denim under her fingers. She pulled back her arm slowly, so she did not disturb whoever this was. She opened her eyes. She noticed the bum she had just had her hand on was actually rather a decent one. _Nice hair, too_, she thought, eyes passing over the well-kept black locks. 

She looked at the boy's back and noticed she had drooled on his shoulder. _Bugger._ She reached a tentative hand out to brush off the spit. He must have felt the touch, though, because a second later, she was staring into bright blue eyes. _Well, he's cute. But who is he? Wait- who am _I_?_

The black-haired boy examined the girl's face. _She's pretty,_ he thought. His eyes roved over the brown eyes, smooth, dark hair and soft lines of her face.

A pair of small smiles were sent to each other by the two confused teens.

~ " * " ~

A different teenager yawned quietly, tightening his arms around the body lying on his stomach. He breathed in the sweet smell of flowers. Which kind, he did not know, but it was a pretty smell. He considered trying to relax back into sleep, but there was an annoying something poking into his hip. The curious thing was that he could not remember who this pretty-smelling girl was that he was waking up next to… In fact, he could not even remember his own name. _Weird._

A girl nestled into the chest her cheek was laying on. She could not remember whose chest this was, but it was rather comfortable. She wanted to stay in that position for a long time, with his arms tightly wrapped around her, but her curiosity got the best of her. She sat up slowly, pulling out of the embrace. _Not a bad body, cute red hair._ She smiled as the sparkling blue eyes opened to look at her.

The redhead felt his companion pulling out of his arms and sit up. He stretched a bit and gradually his blue eyes were revealed. _Good body,_ he thought as his eyes trailed up the girl's form. But when they landed on her face, the redhead was shocked. The blonde that had been sleeping on top of him had the face of a pug and, as he watched, it wrinkled into a smile. He did the only thing he could think of. He sat up-

And hollered.

~ " * " ~

Six sets of eyes snapped up. The black-haired, green-eyed boy tore his eyes away from the mesmerizing gray ones of his company. He sat up slowly and looked around. 

There was a redheaded boy about fifty feet away from his own position, scooting away from a blonde girl with a pug-like face. He was yelping hysterically. The green-eyed boy turned to the blonde boy next to him, a confused look on his face. The blonde stared back at him, a small smirk on his lips, and shrugged.

The green-eyed boy looked back at the redhead. He was still yelling and scrambling away from the sad blonde girl with whom he had awoken. Green eyes moved past the yowling boy and saw a bushy-haired girl being helped to her feet by a sandy-haired boy. And nearby the other four teens, there was another pair, a black-haired boy sitting next to a brunette with a ponytail.

The green-eyed boy got to his feet and held out a hand for the blonde next to him, which the blonde graciously accepted. As soon as their hands touched, the green-eyed boy felt a surge of electricity course through him. _What does this boy mean to me?_ The blonde was now standing beside him. Their eyes met again, and the green searched the gray. The green-eyed boy knew that this boy must mean a lot to him. _A-a-am I gay?_

The blonde felt the same surge when they touched. He knew there was something extremely special about this raven-haired boy he had been with. He just didn't know what. Another odd-feeling smile spread across his lips. It broadened when the green-eyed boy sent him another lopsided smile in return. _Oh, that was beautiful…_

The two boys started moving perfectly in synch with each other and they approached the rest of the group. The redhead was still staring wide-eyed at the blonde girl. Everyone watched as the redhead clambered to his feet. He looked around wildly. That was when he realized that he and the girl he had been sleeping with were not alone.

He stared around, not recognizing anyone. "Who are you people? What did you do to me?"

The black-haired, blue-eyed boy smirked. Leisurely, he got to his feet, helping up the girl with the ponytail. He looked at the redhead and just shrugged. 

The redhead stared around at the others. "Who are you people?" he demanded again. 

The green-eyed boy stepped forward carefully. "Hey, calm down, guy." He looked around at the others. The green-eyed boy put a reassuring hand on the redhead's shoulder. "Does anyone know who they are?"

Everyone's heads shook, signaling that not one among them had a clue who they were, let alone who everyone else was. The blonde boy crossed his arms over his chest in amusement. _This should be interesting…_

~*~TBC~*~


	6. Chapter 06: Identifying

~*~TBC~*~

****

Chapter Six

Identifying

The green-eyed boy looked around. The seven faces staring around at each other looked _really_ familiar, but he had no idea where he might know them from. He took a deep breath and said, "So, erm, how do we figure out who we are?"

The rest looked around them. The girl with the ponytail looked to the ground and saw a pile of books a little ways away, as well as a couple knapsacks by some of the others' feet. "Oh!" she cried with excitement. "We've got books! Let's check those!" She rushed to the nearest pile and picked up the top book. There was a brown paper cover over the heavy text book. She looked at the cover. In the center, there was wide, loopy black handwriting, as though it was written with a black marker.

__

'CMC

Tues & Wed

Prof. Hagrid'

Then in the bottom corner, there was more black writing.

__

'Parvati Patil

Gryffindor

6th year'

"Oh!" she cried again. "I think my name is Parvati! Oooh, how pretty. Weird, but pretty." She grinned up at the others. Then she looked at the other writing that was on the cover. She had apparently doodled on the cover of her book when she was bored during class. _Whatever class 'CMC' is…_ She read a few of the doodles that were done in red ink, set in big hearts and surrounded by more, smaller hearts. 

__

'Parvati loves Harry.'

'I love Harry Potter!'

'Parvati Patil-Potter'

Parvati flushed a bit and then looked up at the black-haired, blue-eyed boy standing next to her. She stood slowly, pulling the book in to her chest and hugging it close. "Do- erm." She looked shyly at the boy she had been sleeping on. "D'you think you're Harry Potter?" 

The blue eyes stared at Parvati intently. He did not have any books near him, so he had no way of knowing for sure. But they had woken up together…_ And she did have her hand on my ass…_ he thought with a smile. "I-I think so." They smiled at each other. 

~ " * " ~

The Irish boy looked at the cute, bushy-haired girl he woke up with. Hanging around her neck was a gold chain that hooked onto either end of a name, written in thick golden script. He picked it up and laid it face-up in his hand. He smiled at her. "Hey, look. You've got a name." He looked down at the name, but could not quick figure out what it said. 

The bushy-haired girl looked down at the name. "Her-mee-one?" she tried. She shrugged. "Her-mee-one," she said again. She was more confident this time. _I guess that's my name then. I wonder what it means…_ Hermione grinned at the Irish boy and said, "So what do you have?" 

The boy looked at his feet. There was a satchel on the ground by where he had been laying. He bent to pick it up. There were a few books inside, none with any names. But there was also an envelope stuffed between the volumes. He picked it out and read the front. "It says _'Seamus'_ on it. I suppose that would be me then." He grinned broadly. "Seamus, huh? I like it."

"I do too," said Hermione timidly. "It's nice to meet you, Seamus." She held out a hand. 

Seamus took her hand delicately and brought it up to his lips. "The pleasure is all mine, Her-mee-one." He sent her a dashing smile, and she smiled back as she blushed.

~ " * " ~

The redhead was glancing at the ground where he'd fallen asleep. There was a bookbag there, with the initials '_RW'_ embroidered on the front. He squatted down and rummaged through the bag. There was a bunch of papers crumpled up in the bag, and a book or two. He pulled out a ball of paper and un-crinkled it. 

__

'How to get rid of Malfoy

by Ron and Harry

1) Hex him. 

2) Beat him up so Pomfrey can't heal him. 

3) Talk to Charlie, ask him to bring Norbert back, feed him to Norbert.

4) Figure out how to turn him into the ferret he is and then set him loose.

5) Leave him in the Forest for Aragog.

6) Send him to live with the Dursleys for a month. 

The list went all the way to the bottom of the page. After a couple items, there was another handwriting. For instance, next to item one, the second person had written _"too easy,"_ and by number two, it said _"that would get us expelled too._" When the redhead flattened out a couple more of the sheets in his bag, he found the list went on. As far as he could see, there were at least three hundred things listed. 

"Well," he said to no one in particular. "That would make me Ron." He stood up and looked to the black-haired, blue-eyed boy that had been deemed Harry. "Hey, mate. I think we're friends. Look at this." Ron handed Harry the list. 

Harry read the top line, and flipped through the sheaf of papers Ron had handed him. He snorted in amusement. "Hey, look at this one. Number two-hundred eighty-six. _'Tie him up and stuff Fred and George's socks up his nose.'_ Boy, are we wicked or what?" Harry smirked. "I think you're right, erm- Ron, is it? I think we are friends. Looks like we spend a lot of time together, too." He waved the pile of at least ten pages. "Maybe we're best friends." 

Ron nodded and smiled at Harry and Parvati. After an appraising look at the pair together, he nodded slightly. _They look cute together._

~ " * " ~

The blonde girl walked over to Seamus and Hermione. She tapped Hermione on the shoulder. "Um, c-could you help me?" she asked. 

Hermione turned to look at the blonde and smiled kindly. "Sure. Where did you wake up?" 

The blonde girl pointed. "I was over there with that boy, Ron."

Hermione felt her stomach do a little flip at the name 'Ron,' but she ignored it. She put a hand on the other girl's shoulders and they walked over to the spot the girl had pointed to. There was nothing else on the ground. Just Ron's bag. Hermione looked at the blonde, almost helplessly. "I don't know what to say." She took a deep breath and looked around again. As she breathed in, a floral aroma filled her nostrils. "Wait," said Hermione. She sniffed again. This girl smelled like flowers. "Hmm," she said, thinking. "You smell pretty… Like roses." Hermione smiled. "How about we call you 'Rose' till we figure out your real name."

The blonde girl smiled slowly. "Rose. I like that." She nodded. 

"Rose it is then," said Hermione. 

~ " * " ~

The green-eyed boy looked at the blonde boy. "Do you have any idea who you are?" he asked. 

The blonde shook his head. "No. We didn't wake up anywhere near the others. And there's nothing by where we were." He looked down at himself. Black dress pants and shiny black leather boots. And a un-tucked, emerald green button-down shirt with wide lapels and the top couple buttons open. There was a black cotton tee-shirt peeking out of the opening. "All I know is that I dress nicely."

The green-eyed boy smiled. "Yes, you do." They smiled at each other. The two pairs of eyes traveled down the other boy's body. The green-eyed boy was wearing jeans that were a shade too big. And covering his torso was a pale blue long-sleeved tee shirt. 

The blonde hid a smile and said simply, "Yes, as soon as we get this whole memory thing sorted out, you and I are going to go to the nearest clothing store and we are going to get you some new clothes."

The green-eyed boy stuck his tongue out. "Alright, then. Enough with the clothes-talk. What are we going to do about names?" 

The blonde reached behind his head and rubbed the back of his neck, staring blankly at the grass, lost in thought. The green-eyed boy closed his eyes, unconsciously reaching up and taking off his glasses. He rubbed the sides of his nose where the glasses usually rested. Then his eyes snapped back open and he stared down at the blurry image of glasses in his hand. "Hey," he said. "I wear glasses."

The blonde, his hand still massaging his neck, glanced up to the green eyes. "Oh, we're _observant_, aren't we?" He grinned wickedly at the green-eyed boy still staring vaguely down. The green eyes snapped up at the comment, and the blonde was assaulted by the raw beauty of those green eyes. _They're- they're amazing. My _God_, did I know this?_ The blonde's breath caught for a second as he stared into the bare emeralds set into the golden-tinged skin. _Oh my God._ He lost himself in a flurry of things he would love to do to this stunningly beautiful boy in front of him. But after about a minute, he was startled by the same boy he was pondering. 

"So do you have a name for yourself?" 

The blonde blinked once. Twice. He shook himself out of his stupor and realized that the green eyes were safely behind glass again. An amusing thought flitted through the blonde's mind._ It's like they're on display at a museum. Held safely behind glass so no one could see their true beauty._ He suddenly felt very honored to have seen what was behind that museum glass.

He then become aware that the green eyes were now looking to him for an answer. He had decided on a name a few minutes earlier, but had gotten extremely wrapped up in his wonderings over the magical green eyes. He smiled and nodded. "Yes."

"Well then?" prodded the raven-haired teen. "What is it?"

The blonde smiled mischievously. "Spike."

The dark eyebrows pushed the scar above them further into the fringe. The green-eyed boy stared at the blonde. "Why 'Spike'?" 

The mischief was even more present in the blonde's gray eyes, and they started twinkling with a hint of blue leaking into them. "I'm channeling my inner bad boy." The smile spread into a grin.

A lopsided smile, accompanied by a snort, was sent back to the blonde. "Alright then."

"What have you decided on, oh nameless one?" asked Spike, bowing low. He lifted his head and smiled at the other boy.

The green-eyed, black-haired teenager smiled at the silliness of his companion. "Dan."

Spike pulled a face. "Dan? That's the best you could come up with?"

The green-eyed boy nodded and looked a bit apprehensive. "What? I kind of like it."

Spike raised a delicate eyebrow. "Kind of? Come on, mate. Make it a bit more interesting."

The other boy crossed his arms, frustrated. "Well, how about Danny?" asked the green-eyed boy with a pout.

Spike grinned happily. "That's better. Alright, Danny. Let's go talk with the others and try to figure out how our minds got all bollixed up." Spike put a hand around Danny's shoulder. He shivered as he touched Danny, a thrill going through him. 

Danny had a similar response to the touch. "Good idea, Spike." He put an arm around Spike's waist. They grinned at each other and walked toward the rest of the group. 

~*~TBC~*~


	7. Chapter 07: Wandering

****

Chapter Seven

Wandering

Everyone stood around in a circle, staring at each other. _What do we do now?_ thought Danny. He looked around them. All he saw was a big lawn splayed out around him, with a small fenced in area about thirty feet from where they all stood, and a very large and sinister looking forest. _Where the bloody hell are we?_

Spike looked around at the others. "Alright," he said, "What's everyone's names? At least we could all know that much. I didn't have any clues, so I've picked Spike until we get our names back." Everyone nodded and started introducing themselves.

"Seamus," said Seamus. He slipped a hand into Hermione's.

"Her-mee-one," said Hermione.

"Parvati Patil." She smiled at Harry.

"Harry Potter." He grinned back at Parvati.

"Ron W-something." Ron shrugged a bit.

"Rose." Ron glared at Rose and edged away.

"And I'm Danny." Danny smiled. "Right, good idea, Spike. So what do we do now?"

Parvati spoke up. "Well," she said, still holding her book to her chest. "It seems that we're probably all in class together, and look." She flipped the book over to show the group the front where her name was. "We're probably all sixth-years."

Danny smiled again. "Good job, Parvati." 

She blushed and felt a little squirm of her stomach when Danny smiled. _He's pretty cute too,_ she thought. She smiled back.

Seamus went to retrieve his bag and brought it back to the circle. "Maybe," he said, "We might be able to find out something else from my books. It seems I have a couple."

Hermione grinned proudly at Seamus as he knelt down to pull out some books. _He seems like a smart guy. No wonder I'm with him…_

Seamus pulled out a heavy, uncovered book. He had just enough time to look at the title before it snapped at him, jump out of his hands and scuttle off. _The Monster Book of Monsters._ "Bloody hell!" he cried. The girls gasped and moved out of the book's way as it snapped its covers at them. Seamus stared at it in amazement. 

Danny sighed heavily and hurried off after the book. He crept up behind it and with a great leap, he flattened the book to the ground. "Does anyone have a belt on?" he cried as the book tried to snap at him. 

Everyone looked at their waists. Spike grinned as he lifted up the hem of his shirt and saw the black belt around his middle. He started undoing it as he hurried to Danny's side. He whipped it out of the belt loops as though it was a sword in a sheath at his hip. He knelt down in the grass next to Danny. "Here, Danny Boy." He grinned at Danny. "Pick up the book tight and we'll do it together."

Danny nodded. He snaked his arms carefully in between the book and the ground and grasped the book tightly. He rolled onto his back and sat up. Spike moved closer to Danny and fit the belt tightly around the book. Both boys' eyes had been trained on the biting book, but now that it was contained, they looked up at each other. Danny's lips curled into the same lopsided smile. 

Spike smiled back and his heart skipped a beat. They stared at each other for a long moment and Spike found himself wanting to lean in and kiss those lopsided lips. He did not, however. _I don't want to kiss him in front of everyone… Maybe sometime when we're alone…_ He broke the gaze and straightened. He leaned over and brushed the dirt off his knees. "Damn," he said with a smirk. "My pants got all dirty." He pulled a face.

Danny's smile got wider. He reached out and patted Spike on the shoulder. "Don't worry. We'll get you cleaned up as soon as we know who we are."

Spike nodded. "Right then." He held out a hand for Danny to help the raven-haired boy up. The same exciting surge of feelings flowed through each of them at the touch. And each wondered to themselves why they had such a powerful reaction to the other boy. They walked back to the group again, Danny carrying the belted book. 

"So what have we found?" asked Danny as they approached. 

Seamus glanced up at the pair. "Well, I have a couple more books, and you're not going to believe it."

Spike and Danny glanced at each other before looking down at the boy still kneeling on the ground. "What?" they asked in unison.

Seamus was holding a couple books in his hands. "Get this… Besides that monster book, there's _The Standard Book of Spells, Grade Six_, and _A History of Magic_. I think we know how to do magic."

Spike snorted. "What, you mean pulling a rabbit out of a hat? What a joke!"

Danny looked at the books in Seamus' hand. "Spike, I don't think he's kidding."

Spike crossed his arms stubbornly. "It can't be. Magic is something old guys with no talent try to do at little kids' birthday parties."

Danny waved the _Monster Book of Monsters_ under Spike's nose. "Then how, my dear Spike, do you explain this?"

Spike grumbled, looking down at the book. It was wiggling in Danny's fingers, trying to free itself from the belt. "Fine," said Spike. "So we're what, wizards and witches?" He looked around at the others in the circle. They were all nodding slowly. "Okay. So what's that get us?"

~ " * " ~

Harry and Parvati led the way along the path. They glanced around nervously. "Whose idea was it to come into the forest?" grumbled Harry as he stumbled over what he swore was the eight hundred and fifty-third root in the last five minutes. 

Parvati let out an unladylike snort. Hiding a smile she stated, "That would be you, Love."

"Oh. Bugger." Harry stumbled again and glowered down at the ground. "Sodding roots."

Parvati snickered quietly. "Yes, dear." 

~ " * " ~

Rose, Seamus, Hermione and Ron were all clustered together a couple feet behind Harry and Parvati. Seamus and Hermione were holding hands as they walked. And Ron found himself frowning at the pair, jealousy surging through him. _Why do I feel so jealous of Seamus? Do- do I have a thing for Her-mee-one?_ He shrugged and trudged on, hoping they would find something of use to them soon.

~ " * " ~

Spike was pouting. He had no desire to be tramping through the woods, looking for something that might tell them who they all were. He had his arms still tied across his chest and his lower lip was protruding the tiniest bit.

Danny thought it was adorable, even if Spike was being a grump. He had the strongest urge to stop walking, grab Spike, slam him into a tree and nibble on that delectable lip that was just begging to be kissed. As he thought about how delightful kissing Spike would be, a thought skittered through his mind. _I do believe this seals it. I'm gay._ The realization did not bother him in the slightest. If being gay meant he could go ravage Spike, he was happy to be gay. A small smile spread on his lips. 

Spike looked over at Danny. There was the shadow of a smile tugging at the corners of the boy's mouth. He raised an eyebrow, a gesture he found extremely familiar. "What's that look for?" asked Spike quietly.

Danny started a bit and turned to gaze into stormy gray eyes. "Nothing. Just thinking."

"What about?" asked Spike curiously. 

Danny smiled mysteriously. "Things." He checked for the others and noticed that he and Spike were lagging behind quite a lot. "Come on. We should catch up to the others." He made to increase his pace but noticed that Spike was no longer next to him. He turned to look behind him. Spike was standing still a few feet away, his lower lip protruding even more. "You know," said Danny as he walked back, "frogs are going to sit on that lip if you leave it out like that."

The lip retreated to its usual position as a smirk creped across Spike's features. "What did you say?"

"I said a frog is going to sit on your lip if you leave it out like you had it." Danny stopped in front of Spike and set his hands on his hips. "Why?"

Spike's smirk increased in intensity. "Right then. What's that supposed to mean?"

Danny's features screwed up in concentration. "Erm, I-I dunno. I haven't a clue where I heard that."

Spike chuckled softly. "It's sort of-" He stopped. He was going to say 'cute,' but he did not think Danny would find that adjective at all flattering. "It's amusing," he said finally. 

Danny smirked now. "It is, isn't it?" He threw a glance over his shoulder at the backs of the others, getting further and further away. He looked back at Spike. "We'd better get back to the others."

Spike nodded. "Right," he said. The two teens started off after their classmates, taking big strides to catch up.

~ " * " ~

Harry stepped passed a few more trees and found himself at the edge of a clearing. He looked around. "Well, at least there's not going to be any roots here," he said with a smile. 

Parvati grinned. She looked around. "I wonder where we are."

Hermione and Seamus came up behind them. "So where are we?" asked Seamus. 

"I was just wondering the same thing, Seamus," said Parvati.

Seamus let go of Hermione's hand and stepped into the clearing. He was looking up at the dark sky as Ron and Rose came up behind Hermione. "Why did we stop?" asked Ron. 

"Because we can," said Rose simply. She stepped into the clearing and next to Seamus. 

Seamus stared up at the sky. "It's late," he said. "Maybe we should just rest here?"

Everyone nodded.

Danny and Spike arrived then. Spike stepped into the clearing and looked around at the open space. "Well, I suppose we're stopping for the night," he said to Danny.

Danny stayed at the tree line. He had a bad feeling about this. He was starting to get a headache. He shook his head, trying to clear it a bit. Spike glanced back at Danny, who had still not crossed into the clearing.

"Danny? You alright?" Spike stepped back into the trees with Danny. 

Danny shook his head again, trying to get rid of the sinking feeling in his stomach. He knew this place from somewhere. He could not place it, but he knew something bad was about to happen. His head felt like it was on fire, the pain concentrated in his forehead. He tried to look up at Spike, but he could barely see. He stumbled backward a few feet and then sank to his knees. 

"Danny!" Spike rushed to Danny's side. "Danny, what's wrong?"

"My-my head. I-I-it feels like it's about to rip apart." Danny had his fingers pressed to the scar on his forehead. 

Spike put his arms around Danny. Why, he did not know, but he felt like this would do something to help. He called to the others over his shoulder. "Guys? Something's wrong with Danny."

Hermione and Ron rushed over. "What's the matter?" asked Hermione worriedly.

"He says his head hurts," said Spike, the anxiety evident in his voice. "What do we do?" 

Just then, they heard screams coming from the edge of the clearing. Standing on the other side were three dangerous-looking men. The one on the left was tall with long, silky, blonde hair tied back neatly. He was standing proudly, a sneer on his lips. The one on the right was short and balding, a stark contrast to the blonde. He was hunched over slightly and was wringing his hands nervously. And in the center was a tall man with sweeping black robes. His eyes were red, and looked to be glowing, his nostrils looked like they were mere slits. He smiled evilly at the four teens standing at the other edge of the clearing. He crossed his arms slowly and smirked at the terrified looks on the teens' faces.

Voldemort had returned to Hogwarts.

~*~TBC~*~


	8. Chapter 08: Leaving

****

Chapter Eight

Leaving

The three men stood at the other edge of the clearing, two glaring menacingly and one trying to look menacing but failing miserably.

Harry, Parvati, Seamus and Rose scampered out of the clearing and hid behind some trees.

"What are we going to do?" moaned Harry quietly. 

"I don't know, but I think we need Ron, Spike and Danny to help us out," said Seamus. "I'll go talk to them." 

Seamus glanced quickly toward the clearing and then darted over to where the other four teens were sitting. Danny was still clutching his forehead desperately. Spike still had his arms around Danny and was rocking him a bit. And Hermione and Ron were looking apprehensive. Seamus knelt down beside them. "Listen, you guys, I kind of have bad news."

Hermione, Ron and Spike looked up, the worry increasing. Danny would have looked up, but at the present moment, he could barely open his eyes because of the pain.

"What's wrong?" asked Spike. 

Seamus glanced again toward the clearing. "Erm, there's a couple guys in the clearing right now. They didn't look all that nice…"

Danny picked his head up and stared straight into Seamus' hazel eyes. "Run."

"What?" Seamus looked confused. 

"Run. Get out of here." Danny struggled to his feet, with a little help from Spike. "Take Her-mee-one, Parvati and Rose and get out of here. Harry should go with you, too. Ron and Spike and I will take care of those gits in the clearing." 

Spike turned nervous eyes on Danny. "Danny, you don't look up to this."

"I'll be alright. Seamus, go tell the others. You five need to get out of here. You can meet Her-mee-one back here." Danny made a shooing gesture.

Seamus nodded and hurried back to the others. Danny looked at Spike. "Can I talk to you alone for a second?"

Spike nodded. He put an arm around Danny's waist to keep him upright. "Ron, Her-mee-one? We'll be right back. Say your goodbyes." 

Danny forced himself upright and walked away from Ron and Hermione, Spike close at his heels.

~ " * " ~

Seamus walked back to where Harry was hiding with Rose and Parvati. Rose was curled up on the ground and shaking slightly from fear. Parvati was sitting next to her, one arm around the other girl's shoulders and the other hand running soothing fingers through the blonde locks. Harry was a couple feet away, pacing nervously and running his hands through his hair, messing up the once-neat styling. They all looked up anxiously as Seamus approached.

"Harry. Girls. We need to get out of here. Danny told me to get you three and then we're going to pick up Her-mee-one and try to find help." Seamus stood in front of the worried trio, hands stuffed into his jeans pockets. 

Parvati glanced up at Harry and then looked to Seamus. "Where are we going to go?" she asked. 

"I dunno, Parvati. I really don't know." Seamus shrugged and then let out a heavy sigh. "All I know is that Spike, Danny, and Ron are going to face off against those three creepy guys in the clearing. And we're not gonna be anywhere near there."

Harry stared at Seamus. "You mean, they're going to just go into that clearing and get their butts whomped by three scary-looking old blokes?"

Seamus shrugged. "I guess so."

"Seamus, we can't leave. I don't feel right about it," said Rose shakily. 

"Yeah," agreed Parvati. "We can't just let them go in there so they can get beaten senseless."

Seamus threw his hands up and stepped back a couple paces. "Don't yell at me. Danny was the nutter that said they'd be going in alone."

Harry looked at the girls and then to the retreating Irishman. "We can't let them do that. Let's go talk to them."

~ " * " ~

Ron looked at Hermione. There was something about her. He cleared his throat. "Well," he said nervously.

"Well," she echoed. 

They stared at each other for a second. Then something in Ron told him there was only one thing he could do. He slipped a hand around her waist, and rested the other hand softly on her cheek. They stepped together and their lips met in a soft kiss. One of her hands slipped up and into his red locks, playing with the little curl at the nape of his neck. Ron pulled her closer to him, flicking his tongue over her lips. She willingly granted him entrance. The second their tongues touched, they both knew this was right. 

They lost themselves in each other, exploring bodies they were sure they knew. Hands flew over familiar-feeling skin, tongues tasting familiar tastes. After what felt like mere seconds, the two teens' lips were disconnected. 

Hermione's hand released Ron's backside, which it had been grasping firmly. Her other hand untangled itself from the soft red hair. 

Ron's hand snaked back around Hermione's waist, reluctantly letting go. His other hand dropped away from the soft skin of the back of her neck. 

They stepped back one pace each and stared at each other. Ron was the first to break their silence. "Wow," he whispered. "That was-"

"Amazing," finished Hermione. 

Ron nodded. "I've been wanting to do that all day." A faint smile flitted across his lips. But then a worried look took its place. "Listen, I need to say something."

Hermione's features contorted in fear. "What?"

Ron took a deep breath. "I don't know exactly what our relationship is when we know who we are, but I do know this. I really care about you. Very much. And I want you to remember that." He reached out and played with a few strands of her hair. "No matter what happens, remember I care about you." 

Hermione stared back at Ron, tears in her eyes. "Oh, Ron…" 

His hand moved back to her cheek, brushing a couple stray tears off the milky skin. He stared into the beautiful molten chocolate eyes. He swallowed hard. "And Her-mee-one?"

"Yes?" she murmured, hanging on his every word.

He cupped her face, blue eyes shining intensely. "I- Erm. I think I love you." 

The words were barely a whisper. But to Hermione, he had shouted it from a mountain top and it was echoing over and over in her head. She let out a choked sob and threw her arms around him. As tears ran free all over Ron's shoulder, she whispered back. "I think I love you, too."

She lifted her head to stare up into Ron's eyes. He leaned down, and another soft kiss was shared.

~ " * " ~

Spike followed Danny a few feet away from the others. Danny came to a halt just on the other side of a large tree whose purpose became that of blocking them from view. Spike watched the raven-haired teen closely. There was an emotion present in the shining emerald eyes. Spike could not quite grasp what it was as he was sure he had never encountered it before. Danny slowly raised his gaze to meet Spike's.

Danny stared into the gray eyes, seeing curiosity and wonderment waltzing together in the stormy irises. _I need to get myself together and just get it out,_ thought Danny. His heart was racing as he stared at Spike. "Spike, there's something I need to say, and I feel like this is the best time, because I've got this silly feeling like we're not going to make out of that clearing alive."

Spike took a hesitant step toward Danny. "What is it?" he asked quietly, putting a hand out to touch Danny's shoulder. At the touch, the sharp pain that was Danny's headache faded to become a dull nearly-nonexistent throb. The slight subsiding of the headache gave him the courage he needed. 

Danny advanced to stand directly in front of the blonde. "Spike, there's something inside me that says you are someone really important to me. That same something is making me think I've never told you that before. So I want to tell you now." Danny reached up and tucked a stray bit of blonde silk behind Spike's ear. 

"Tell me what?" Spike was staring at Danny intently, confused.

Danny took a deep breath. "Spike, I-" He stopped, and looked away. He mumbled something quietly. 

Spike asked him to repeat himself and with a sigh, Danny did. 

"I _think _I might have feelings for you."

Spike's eyes went huge. Danny's heart sank. _I knew I shouldn't have said anything. Now he's going to be all weird around me…_ But what came next erased Danny's fears.

Spike seized the raven-haired boy's face and pulled him close. Their lips met in a soft, sweet kiss. After taking a second to recover from the surprise of the kiss, Danny had his arms around the blonde's waist, bringing him ever closer. Spike's pale fingers left Danny's cheeks to tangle themselves in the obsidian locks. 

The fleeting sparks of excitement the two boys had felt at the slight touches before were nothing to the feeling of their lips pressed together. They concentrated on nothing but that feeling for a long time, exploring the other's mouth, tasting each other. Even though the two boys' minds had somehow been wiped of all memories, each knew for certain that they had never kissed each other before, and this was the most amazing experience they had ever had in their entire lives.

Danny clung to Spike desperately, feeling that if he let go, something would happen to rip Spike from him. But after a while, they had to separate, if only so that their lungs could regroup and remember what it was like to be used. They broke apart at the same time, and stared at each other. Neither knew what to say, so they didn't say a thing.

As Spike stared at Danny, he knew that whatever this was between them, that it fit somehow. Even though he still had no memories, Spike felt more complete, more whole. The ghost of a smile made the corners of his lips twitch ever so slightly. He played with the curls at the base of Danny's neck as they gazed at each other. 

A couple minutes later, a sound in the direction of the others caught their attention and they stepped apart reluctantly. As they did, the same thought drifted through their minds.

__

Anyone tries to screw with him and I'll kill them with my bare hands.

~ " * " ~ 

Seamus led the way back to the path where he'd left Ron, Hermione, Danny and Spike. When he reached it, though, he stopped in his tracks, causing everyone behind him to slam into his back. What he was looking at stunned him.

Ron and Hermione were tangled up together in a tight embrace, caught up in a kiss. And they were completely oblivious to anything that was not themselves.

Seamus stared, and the others peeked around him to see what he had stopped for. Harry was the first to speak. 

"Bloody hell!"

Ron and Hermione broke apart instantly, stumbling away from each other. Their kiss-swollen lips gave them away. They had obviously been at it for a while. Seamus was still just staring.

"Oh God, Seamus. I-I-I'm sorry," stammered Hermione, her hand flying to her mouth. "I-"

Seamus shook his head and waved away any other apologies that might be forthcoming. "No. It's alright."

Now it was Ron and Hermione's turn to stare. "What?" asked Ron softly.

Seamus sighed. "I said it's alright." He looked back and forth between the couple. "I'm not upset by it. In fact, I-" Seamus looked confused by his thoughts. "I feel like it's supposed to be like that… You two, together." He let a small smile form on his lips. 

Hermione walked over to Seamus and took one of his hands in hers. "You're alright, Seamus? Really?"

Seamus nodded. "Really. I knew we, you and me, were too good to be true. Her-mee-one, you belong with Ron. I see that now." 

Hermione smiled at Seamus and put her arms around him. A light peck was placed on his cheek and she stood on her tiptoes to whisper in his ear. "Thank you for understanding."

Seamus gave the girl a gentle squeeze before releasing her. Then he looked around. "Where are Danny and Spike?"

Ron and Hermione shrugged as one. 

As if on cue, Danny and Spike emerged from the woods behind Ron and Hermione. "We're right here," said Danny easily. He and Spike grinned at the group. 

Parvati ran to Danny and threw her arms around his neck as Rose did the same to Spike. 

"You can't go face those men," cried Parvati.

"Please don't go alone," whimpered Rose.

The two stunned boys patted the girls' backs gingerly. "We'll be alright," said Danny in a would-be confident voice.

"We're not going to be alone," said Spike, pulling back from the clinging blonde girl. "There will be three of us."

Parvati shook her head. "But that's three teenagers against three grown men," she squealed.

Danny winced slightly as the headache that had been damped moments ago came raging back full force. He pulled away from Parvati and a hand went to his forehead. "We-we'll be okay," he said through the pain. 

Spike released Rose completely and put an arm around Danny's waist. "Are you alright?" he asked quietly.

Danny nodded just enough that Spike could see. He squared his shoulders and fought the pain blazing through the center of his forehead. At Spike's touch, that pain had subsided a little, but it was still pretty bad. Danny looked at Harry, Seamus and the girls. "Listen," he said firmly. "You five are getting out of here. Go try to find help."

He glanced at Ron and Spike briefly. "Are you two okay with this? I didn't even think to ask…"

Ron nodded confidently. "I'm here for you, mate."

Spike slipped a hand discretely into Danny's. "Let's kick some ass."

Danny flicked a smile at Spike, and then one at Ron. "Right. So the rest of you are going to get the hell out of here. No," said Danny, holding up a hand to stop Harry and Parvati from protesting. "You're leaving. I don't care what you think. We can handle this ourselves. I'm sure of it. Now go."

Seamus stepped forward and shook Danny's hand. "Be careful." Danny nodded. Each of the five teens that were to leave embraced the three boys that were to fight. Hermione left kisses on Spike's and Danny's cheeks before she left a lingering kiss on Ron's lips. At that, the three girls and two boys turned and started back down the path they'd come on.

Danny looked to the other two boys. "Alright. Are you two really sure?"

Confident nods came from both Ron and Spike. Ron stepped forward and folded Danny into a fierce hug. "I don't know what we are to each other usually, Danny, but I feel like we've done something like this before."

Danny returned the hug with the same fervor. "Me too."

They separated and Ron hugged Spike. This hug was more awkward, but almost as fierce. 

Then Spike and Danny wrapped their arms around each other and they shared a soft kiss. "We'll be alright," whispered Spike into Danny's ear. He felt Danny nod in response. They finally let go and the trio looked at each other.

Danny inhaled deeply, letting it out slow. "Right then. Let's go."

With that, the three teenagers made for the clearing, unarmed and unaware of the danger that was now eminent. Two thoughts flashed through Danny's mind as they approached.

__

Why do I feel like I'm marching toward my death?

And why am I not worried in the slightest?

~*~TBC~*~


	9. Chapter 09: Confronting

****

Chapter Nine

Confronting

Peter Pettigrew stood nervously wringing his hands, glancing back and forth between the two malicious men that were his company. _Why did I ever become slave to the Dark?_ thought Peter with a slight shudder._ I'm not cut out for this…_

Lucius Malfoy stood with his arms crossed over his chest, the Malfoy Sneer twisting his normally elegant face. "What are we waiting for, my Lord?"

A predatory smile curled the Dark Lord's lips. "Our prey, Lucius. We are waiting for our prey."

From the other side of the clearing there came the sharp crack of a twig being stepped on. The smile on Lord Voldemort's lips spread. "And here they come." Each of the men drew their wands, prepared to strike.

~ " * " ~

Harry and Parvati led the way back along the path, walking quickly. Their hands were clasped together tightly, and neither was sure if it was because they cared for each other or if it was because they were so scared. They increased their pace a little.

Seamus, Hermione, and Rose were following a few paces behind the couple. After a couple minutes, Rose collapsed to her knees. "I can't…" She was shaking terribly.

Seamus and Hermione hurried to her side. "Rose? You alright, love?" asked Seamus carefully.

Rose shook her head. "No… I-I can't walk right. You guys go ahead."

Hermione refused. "No way. There's three obviously dangerous guys behind us. We're not leaving you."

Rose forced a small smile. "Thanks," she said quietly.

Hermione sat down in the dirt of the path next to Rose. Something about this situation felt oddly familiar… Like she was used to being up against some dark evil. But she felt like she really should have stayed behind with Ron, Spike, and Danny. She mentally shook herself and set an arm around Rose's shoulder. "Just rest, Rose. Just rest." 

Seamus sat on Rose's other side and put his arm around her waist. "Everything's going to be alright. I'm sure of it." Something told him that Danny, Ron, and Spike could handle themselves against the men they were about to face. He raised his head to say something to Harry, but the words never came. Instead, Seamus looked around curiously.

"Where did Harry and Parvati get to?"

~ " * " ~

Harry and Parvati were still walking along the path, trying their best to get out of the Forest before anyone came after them. Parvati looked around and said to Harry, "Uh, Harry? Sweetie?"

Harry slowed a trifle and looked at the girl. "Yes?"

Parvati stopped next to a small clump of pansies beside the path. "I've seen this same patch of pansies at least three times. Are we lost?"

Harry glanced down at the flowers on the ground and then up at Parvati. "I-I suppose we must be. I guess my sense of direction isn't as good as I thought."

Parvati could not help but smile a little. "I guess not. Why don't you let me choose the path for a bit."

Harry nodded. Parvati squared her shoulders purposefully and they set off. "Funny, though. What are pansies doing in a creepy forest like this?" she wondered aloud.

"Maybe someone just felt like planting them." Harry shrugged as they took a turn down the right half of a fork in the path.

~ " * " ~

Danny looked at the two other teenagers walking on either side of him. He felt incredibly close to them both. He knew there was some kind of romantic feelings shared with Spike. But there was also a strong connection between himself and Ron. He almost felt like they were family… He shook off the thoughts, favoring thoughts about what they were about to face. He looked up and realized that they were now at the edge of the clearing. "Are you two ready?"

Ron and Spike both answered in the affirmative, and Danny stepped into the clearing, flanked by Spike on his left and Ron on his right. Danny's head felt like it was about to split in two as he fought through the pain to look at the opposition.

Just as Harry, Parvati, Seamus, and Rose had seen before, there were three men standing there. Something about this scene felt reminiscent of a memory Danny had yet to recover. _Deja vu,_ thought Danny vaguely.

Facing Danny from the center of the evil-looking trio was a tall, skinny, snake-like man with flaming red eyes. He was wrapped in impressive robes, and was holding out a long thin stick. Danny knew he had met this man many times before, and there was no fear in him as he glared at the snake-man. He blinked back the pain that was threatening to overtake his mental functions. _What can this guy do to me… Poke me with the bloody stick?_

Spike's thoughts were echoing Danny's as he stared down his opponent. The blonde man across from him was also holding a thin stick, pointed straight at Spike. There was something extremely familiar about that blonde hair and those striking gray eyes, but Spike could not place it. Spike sneered at the older blonde, who looked somewhat surprised at his presence. The sneer was quickly reflected back at him. _Come on, old man. Poke me with the stick, you prat._

Ron was glaring at the nervous man facing him. He stood proudly and his blue eyes flitted over the anxiety-ridden wimp of a man across from him. This balding little man across from Ron looked a bit familiar, and something in Ron wanted to run up to the git he faced and just scratch his eyes out. This hunchbacked man was also holding a stick in his quivering hand, although it was not quite as big as those held by the other two. _What are you gonna do, _thought Ron._ Poke me to death?_

~ " * " ~

Seamus, Hermione and Rose were back on the path, and aimed to the exit from the forest. Hermione seemed to know the forest path better for some reason, and she led them confidently. They walked in silence, fearing the outcome of the fight that was about to break out behind them. Suddenly, Rose cried out.

"What's wrong?" asked Hermione worriedly. She and Seamus looked around in fear.

"Pansies!" cried Rose cheerfully. The girl was stooped down by a small clump of the flowers, grinning widely. "I love pansies!"

Hermione and Seamus shook their heads, willing their hearts to stop racing. "Bloody hell, woman," exclaimed Seamus. "Scared us out of our wits, you did!"

Rose straightened sheepishly. "Sorry," she whispered. "Didn't mean to."

Hermione and Seamus sighed. "Come on then," said Hermione. "I think we're almost out." The three teens started walking again. They reached the end of the path in a few short minutes. They were off, hurrying to the spot they and the others had woken up in earlier. 

Once they got there, they started looking around.

"Which way should we go to find help?" asked Seamus.

"How should I know?" grumbled Hermione.

"Well, Her-mee-one, you _were_ the one that seemed like she knew where the hell she was," snapped Rose. 

"Fine." Hermione gazed around again and caught sight of someone. "Hey, look!"

The three teenagers hurried over to the dark figure. As they approached the figure, they could all make out long black robes, and a profile complete with a hooked nose. When the man was upon them, Hermione noticed greasy black hair. _Ew,_ she thought. _Does this guy need a make-over or what?_

"Where have you been?" snapped the greasy-haired man.

Seamus pointed over his shoulder. "We were in that forest over there… We need to-"

The greasy man held up a hand. "Silence! You were in the forest? Fifty points from Gryffindor! For each of you. And Parkinson? What are you doing with this riff-raff?" 

The three teens looked at each other, reading the same look on each others' faces._ Which of us is Parkinson?_

"Sir-" started Hermione.

The greasy man silenced her with a glare. "Where are the rest of your classmates?" His dark eyes scanned the surrounding area, hunting for more little brats he would have to deal with. But there were none. An eyebrow rose slightly, but replaced itself so his emotionless persona remained in tact. "Well?"

The trio of memory-less students looked at each other again. _Oh bugger…_

~ " * " ~

Harry and Parvati sat under a tree. They were lost. Parvati's sense of direction was apparently just as bad as Harry's. They had given up on walking around in circles pointlessly about ten minutes before. Now they were just sitting under a tree.

They would have talked about their lives up till now… But they still could not remember them. So they sat in silence. Occasionally, one would steal a glance at the other. It was Parvati who finally broke the silence.

"I'm bored."

"Me too," said Harry. "But what's there to do?"

A slow smile spread on Parvati's lips. "I think I might have an idea."

Harry's eyebrows went for cover in his hairline. "Oh? And what's your marvelous idea?"

Parvati did not answer. Instead, she just turned to face him. In one swift motion, she had his face in her hands and her lips all over his.

A single thought floated through Harry's mind as Parvati's tongue flitted over his lips.

__

Good idea…

~ " * " ~

After the three staring matches had been going on for a good five minutes, the ruby-eyed snake-man spoke in a raspy voice. "Nice of you three to join us." He leered at the young trio, all of whom were standing proudly with their arms crossed over their chests.

"Glad we could make it," said Danny scathingly. "Is there something we can do for you gentlemen?"

A soft laugh came from the snake-man. "Oh yes. You could give up and just let me kill you without a fight."

Spike spoke up. "And why would we want to do that?"

The blonde man opposite Spike raised an eyebrow, and the snake man chuckled. "Ah, young Malfoy. Trying to take a stand against your future, hmm?" When Spike did not respond, the stick that had been pointed at Danny was moved to aim at Spike. "Well, I suppose I ought to teach you a lesson. _Crucio!_"

Spike fell to his knees, feeling as though every inch of him was on fire. Danny knelt at Spike's side and glared at the snake-man. "Stop it," he said bravely.

The snake-man chuckled again. "So you've taken to defending your enemies now, Potter? Well, what would you think if I did the same to your friends?" The stick was moved off of Spike, who relaxed visibly, and was now pointed at Ron. "_Crucio!_" 

Now Ron fell to his knees in pain. He yowled as the pain surged through him. The blonde man stifled a sinister laugh and the shorter man looked away unhappily.

"Stop," Danny demanded again. "Leave them be. I know it's me you're after."

The snake-man smiled in a would-be benevolent way. "Always the Gryffindor, Potter."

Danny tied his arms across his chest again. "Stop calling me Potter. My name Is Danny."

The snake-man raised an eyebrow amusedly. "Danny, hmm? Decided to change your name? Step out of the spotlight a bit? Alright then. Danny it is." He released Ron from the pain set on him and pointed the stick, which Danny had determined was most likely a magic wand, at the raven-haired boy. Danny stood defiantly.

There was sudden movement on either side of Danny. Spike had whipped something out of his pocket…

It was a stick just like the ones that were being pointed at the three young boys. An instant later, Spike heard a word float from his mouth that felt very commonplace on his lips. With his wand trained on the tall blonde man, Spike instinctively uttered a single word.

"_Crucio!_"

At the same time as Spike had drawn his wand, Ron had sprinted the short distance across the clearing and tackled the shorter man with a growl. Something small and black fell out of the redhead's pocket and went unnoticed as fists began pummeling the bald man. 

With his friends otherwise occupied, Danny glared at the snake-man. "Just you and me, old man," snarled Danny, advancing on the man. "Leave the others out of this."

The snake-man sneered back. "You should know by now, never call me 'old man'."

Danny smirked and crossed his arms again. "What would you rather? Mary Poppins?" Danny did not know who Mary Poppins was, but it was the first name his head found and it sounded amusing. And by the look he was receiving, the name was as demeaning to the snake-man as Danny had hoped.

The red eyes narrowed to slits, just like the nostrils beneath. "You will not leave here alive, Boy. You know damn well my name is Lord Voldemort."

Danny stepped forward with feigned courage. _I hope I know what I'm doing…_ "Ah, alright then. Lord Moldywart. Got it." 

Voldemort stepped forward too, and a faint crunching was heard. Just as Voldemort sent another "_Crucio!_" out of his wand, Harry Potter was hit with a flood of feelings. He sank to his knees…

~*~TBC~*~


	10. Chapter 10: Remembering

****

Chapter Ten

Remembering

  
Harry Potter lay in the clearing, curled in the fetal position and whimpering quietly. As he lay there, everything came rushing back to him. He was helpless to the pain and anguish caused by the sudden suffering of everything in his life all over again, and all at once. He felt every hurtful event twist his heart as the memories returned. He saw again the blinding flash of green, the flying motorbike, the beatings from his cousin and uncle, the constant derisive comments spewing from the lips of Draco Malfoy, the blinding pain that told him when Voldemort was near… _Shit! Voldemort…_

  
Lord Voldemort lifted his boot to see what he had stepped on. There was a tiny pile of crushed crystal laying there. He shrugged inwardly and raised his eyes to where Harry lay curled in the fetal position, shaking in pain from the Crutiatus Curse that was still trained on him.

  
Draco Malfoy glared at his father as all his memories came flooding back. He pointed his wand at the elder Malfoy, crying, "_Expelliarmus_!" Lucius' wand flew at Draco and Draco plucked it easily out of the air. With one last sneer at his father, he stepped back a step and muttered, "_Petrificus Totalus_." Before he could say anything to bring his son out of his seemingly insane state, Lucius Malfoy felt all his limbs snap together, and his entire body went rigid. Draco grinned maliciously as the older man teetered and then fell with a thump flat on his face. _Now that was fun…_

  
Ron Weasley was pounding away at Peter Pettigrew, beating the living daylights out of his ex-rat. His memories were flooding back as his fists landed on the flab of Pettigrew. Finally, Ron stood and towered over Peter. "This is for all those years of you hiding away in my home, you filthy piece of manure." Ron sent a Full-Body-Bind Curse at Pettigrew, his voice harmonizing with Draco's as they sent the spell simultaneously. At the sound of "Oh Merlin!" yelled in the next instant, Ron's blue eyes snapped up to look at the others still in the clearing.

  
Draco was the one who had yelled. He watched as Voldemort was torturing Harry with the Crutiatus Curse, and with a roar of rage, Draco thundered at the Dark Lord. Ron joined him, and the two sixteen-year-olds tackled Voldemort easily. They pinned him under their combined weight and Ron snatched the wand out of Voldemort's hand. "Don't you fucking move, you bastard," snarled Ron, both his and Voldemort's wands trained on the Dark Lord. 

  
~ " * " ~

  
Blaise Zabini lay on his back in the dirt of the path and Parvati Patil lay on top of him, their lips smashed together in a scorching kiss. Their tongues battled back and forth first in Blaise's mouth, then Parvati's, then back to Blaise. Their fingers were flitting over undiscovered bodies, tugging at fabric. One of them moaned quietly, neither knowing whose throat the moan had escaped.

  
Suddenly, Parvati's eyes snapped open at the same time as Blaise's. They stared at each other for a second, their lips still connected. Parvati pulled back fast, eyes fixed steadily on the bright blue of Blaise's irises. Her mouth fell open a bit. 

  
Blaise broke the gaze to look at their position. One of his hands was tugging at the hem of her tight, pale purple, cotton top. The other was resting lightly on her backside. Her hands were in his hair and just under his white button-down shirt. His breath was coming in short gasps as he took in the scene. So was hers.

  
She removed her hands from Blaise's stomach and hair, and she pushed herself up so she was straddling his thighs. Her hands went to her hair to attempt fixing it, as it was coming loose from the ponytail. He propped himself up on his elbows and their gaze connected again.

  
"What were we doing here?" she whispered, tucking stray hairs behind her ear. 

  
A small smile spread on Blaise's lips. "I believe that's what is known as snogging, Love."

  
She sent a scandalized look at her companion. "Do not call me 'Love,' Zabini!"

  
Blaise looked on her with mock offense. "Oh dear me. Have I defiled a proud Gryffindor?" he asked sardonically. "Please, excuse me!"

  
Parvati pushed herself off the ebony-haired Slytherin and stood. "Don't speak to me like that." She turned and walked a little bit away.

  
Blaise stood and followed her. "How am I supposed to speak to you, Pet?" He glanced down at himself and started brushing off the dust and grime.

  
Parvati spun around to face the boy. "I- You-" She stopped and looked down at her hands. "I don't know," she said quietly.

  
"Well good, me neither." Blaise sent her a rueful smile. "I'm sorry I upset you."

  
Parvati shook her head. "It-it's alright, I suppose. We're both a tad confused at the moment."

  
The smile on Blaise's lips spread a little. "Can I confess something?" He adopted a shy look that Parvati found unnaturally cute. For a Slytherin, that is.

  
Parvati met his eyes, hers filled with questions. "What?"

  
Blaise looked away a second before staring back into the girl's deep chocolate eyes. "I'm glad it was you I woke up with."

  
~ " * " ~

  
Hermione Granger, Pansy Parkinson and Seamus Finnigan stood before Professor Severus Snape in shock. Suddenly, the severity of the situation dawned on them all at the exact same moment. Along with many memories of who exactly was in that clearing. All at once, they started stammering.  
  
"You-Know-Who-"

  
"In the woods…"

  
"Harry, Ron, and Malfoy! Fighting him-"

  
"…Lost Patil and Blaise…"

  
"…Fighting in a clearing…"

  
"…Mister Malfoy and Wormtail too…"

  
"You've got to do something!"

  
As his students were jabbering, Snape's eyes grew wide. He glanced over his shoulder toward the castle that was out of sight range. He looked back at the two Gryffindors and one Slytherin with anxiety. "Right, you three get to the castle. Find Dumbledore. I believe he is in his chambers."

  
Pansy, Hermione and Seamus nodded. Pansy and Seamus started to rush off. But Hermione stopped. "Professor Snape, sir?"

  
The hook-nosed professor had started into the Forbidden Forest. He stopped and scowled back at the girl. "What the devil to you want, Miss Granger?"

  
Hermione hesitated. "There's no time, girl. What is it?" he growled.

  
Hermione squared her shoulders and looked at her professor. "Harry, Ron and Mal-er. Draco. They might not remember who they are. Please hurry."

  
Snape's scowl softened slightly. "I will," he said. With that, he turned and hurried off in the direction of the only clearing he knew of on this side of the forest.

  
A tear released due to her fear made a path down Hermione's cheek. She stood at the edge of the forest, staring after her professor. _Please… Please let them be alright…_ She stared into the darkness another second, and then turned to hurry off to the castle.

~*~ TBC ~*~


	11. Chapter 11: Worrying

****

Chapter Eleven

Worrying

Blaise must have found something very interesting on the ground just then because after his confession, he would not meet Parvati's eyes.

Parvati's eyebrows had flown up her forehead in surprise, and her jaw was currently residing approximately a few inches from the ground. After a while, she found her voice again. "Really?"

Blaise nodded, eyes still on the dirt below. "Of course, I didn't remember at the time, but I've had a crush on you for a while," he mumbled quietly.

Parvati's jaw was in real danger of coming in contact with the dusty path now. She could not help it. Here was a Slytherin confessing that not only was he happy to have woken up with her, he _fancied _her. _This is a dream. My mind is playing tricks on me… He can't be serious…_ Parvati stared at Blaise some more. Finally, he raised his eyes to meet hers. And she knew then that this boy was not joking.

She pulled her jaw back into the proper position. Parvati took a tentative step toward Blaise. She scrutinized his expression, taking in the adorable look of vulnerability on Blaise's face. She reached up and swept a small lock of hair out of Blaise's eyes. 

The smallest hint of a smile started to appear on her lips. "Oh, what would my mother think…" she said quietly.

Blaise was confused. "Think of what?" he asked.

The smile on Parvati's lips spread. "Of me dating a Slytherin." 

He stared at her still, a blank look on his face. Then the implications of her statement dawned on him.

Blaise's eyes grew huge and a grin spread across his face. He grabbed her and pulled her close. "We'll have to find out, won't we?" he said slyly before he captured her lips for another kiss.

~ " * " ~ 

Hermione dashed toward the castle following behind the racing pair of Pansy and Seamus. She was thankful that she had gotten the chance to find out the newest password to get past Dumbledore's stone gargoyle. Just last week she had visited the headmaster's chambers to discuss her disappointment regarding the dress-down week they were currently engaging in. Hermione put on a surge of speed and caught up to Seamus and Pansy as they were about to ascend the steps to the heavy wood doors of Hogwarts Castle. 

"This way," she said, practically sprinting toward the stone gargoyle. As the unlikely trio scurried through the halls past their classmates and professors, many an odd look was sent in their direction. But the vexed ensemble ignored the gaping mouths of the Hogwarts populace. Finally, Hermione skidded to a halt in front of the gargoyle. 

"Afternoon, Gary," she said to the gargoyle, "Canary Creams."

The gargoyle came to life, and hopped aside. As they passed, Seamus swore he saw the statue wink at his bushy-haired Housemate. 

Hermione tore up the steps and barely had time to bang on the door once before it opened of its own accord. It seemed that the door was not fancying a beat-down by an over-anxious Gryffindor girl. 

"Headmaster, there's trouble! In the forest!" Hermione stormed into Dumbledore's office. "Harry and Ron and Malfoy are there! And You-Know-Who!"

Dumbledore had been indulging in his seemingly obsessive, and now oddly infamous, delicacy of Muggle-made lemon drops. The old man dropped the pair of sticky yellow sweets that had been very insistent on staying stuck together. As they hit the desk, they reluctantly fell apart. Dumbledore would have been pleased with the outcome had he not heard the dreaded alias of one of his former prized students. His twinkling blue eyes were fixed on the peculiar trio of students standing before him, huffing and puffing.

He stood slowly, a grave expression on his usually cheerful face. "Voldemort is here? And Mister Malfoy, Mister Potter and Mister Weasley are facing him alone?"

Seamus and Pansy nodded, flinching at the use of the Dark Lord's name, and Pansy added, "But Sev- erm. Professor Snape is on his way there. We met him as we were coming to find help."

Dumbledore stepped out from behind his desk and walked to one of the many shelves in his cluttered office. From the shelf under the Sorting Hat, which seemed to be frowning at the news the group had brought, Dumbledore lifted a long thin box and opened it to reveal a wand. He retrieved the wand carefully and turned toward his worried students. "We best be off then, shall we?"

The three teens nodded. Hermione looked past the headmaster to the Sorting Hat. "Nice to see you again, Bartholomew. You too, Fawkes!" She waved.

The rip at the edge of the hat opened into a small smile as everyone was leaving the room. "And you, Miss Granger," said the Hat in its gravelly, infrequently-used voice. Dumbledore's phoenix, Fawkes, squawked his agreement with the Hat.

As the headmaster lead the way down his steps, Pansy leaned in to speak to Hermione. "Boy, Hermione, do you know the names for _everything _in the headmaster's office?"

Hermione smiled cheerfully, in spite of the impending doom. "Just about," she said.

"She should," called Dumbledore over his shoulder to the girls. "She's in there almost every week telling me what she thinks of the way I run the school."

Seamus and Pansy grinned at each other as Hermione blushed a deep shade of crimson. "Let's just get out to Harry and Ron," said Hermione.

"And Drakey!" chimed in Pansy.

Hermione nodded, the hint of a smirk on her face. "Yes, and erm… _Drakey_." 

Dumbledore was glad his beard hid much of his face because he knew there was an extremely amused smile lingering on his lips. "So," he said to his students. "Why exactly were you in the forest?"

~ " * " ~

Severus Snape walked down the path toward the clearing. With every step, his already racing heart accelerated even more. And with every step, his annoyance at Harry and his friends increased. And his mind was on overload.

__

What do I expect to do when I get there? he asked himself. _What's going to happen when the Master sees me running to the rescue of the bloody Boy-Who-Lived and his trusty sidekick, Weasley. Bloody hell, Potter. Can't you _ever_ stay out of the Dark Lord's way?_

Severus sighed angrily and pressed on. He wondered how it was that a sixteen year old could be so annoying. Then he reminded himself that _all_ teens are simply menaces to society until they hit nineteen. After that, they merely become leeches till they are in their late twenties. Severus ran his fingers through his greasy mane and grumbled.

"Why do _I_ have to be the one that always gets Potter out of his scrapes?" He rolled his eyes. 

As he walked along the path, a new thought ran through his mind. _I'll never be able to spy for the Order again. _Once Voldemort saw him coming to Harry's aid, he would be revealed as a fighter for the Light, and would be banned from all Death Eater meetings. At first, the potions master let an uncharacteristic smile spread across his lips. _I would no longer have to be at Voldemort's every beck and call! I'd never have to pretend to take pleasure in rape and murder. _

When his mind mentioned murder, he stopped in his tracks. _Murder._ He did not remember until that second what the Dark Lord did to those who betrayed him. _Crutiatus until I can bear no more pain. And then actual beatings. And then…_ Severus shuddered violently. Once the traitor was severely beaten, the worst happened. Each of the other, loyal Death Eaters would aim a Crutiatus at the betrayer, and on their Lord's command they would all cast the spell simultaneously. The last thing that the double-crossing Death Eater would endure was begging for his life to end. Yes, Lord Voldemort made the disloyal one beg to be put out of his misery. When the Dark Lord was sufficiently amused by the pleading of his ex-minion, he would send one last Crutiatus Curse at the traitor and then the Killing Curse right after. Therefore, the last thing the turncoat would experience in his life was unending, excruciating pain.

Severus remembered having to take part in several ceremonies like that. If you could even call them ceremonies. He knew that once Lord Voldemort saw him coming to save Potter, that would be how he would meet with death. He closed his eyes for a second, pushing away the sick feeling in his gut. He had to get to the children.

Just a short while later, he came upon the edge of the clearing. A crazy sight met his eyes. 

To the left, laying stock still, limbs pinned rigidly to his body and nose in the dirt, was Lucius Malfoy. Severus could tell that Malfoy hair anywhere. To the right, also in the dirt, was a slightly bloodied up Peter Pett- _Wait,_ thought Severus, surprised. _That's Peter Pettigrew! Isn't he supposed to be dead? You mean Potter, Weasley and Granger _weren't_ lying?!? He really is alive! Shit. _Peter was also lying in the dirt, but face-up. He also seemed to be rendered immobile. A nasty smile spread across Severus' lips. _Amazing. A couple of Death Eaters were caught in body binds by sixteen year olds. Oh, how shameful. _If he were not in the middle of a very treacherous rescue mission right now, he would have laughed his head off. 

Severus' eyes then flitted to the big jumble of bodies in between the two bound men. Harry Potter was curled in the fetal position, whimpering in pain and anguish. Ronald Weasley and Draco Malfoy were sitting side by side on top of Voldemort, wands trained on the Dark Lord. They were breathing heavily, and as Severus watched, Ron snatched Voldemort's wand out of his hand and that, too, was aimed at the Dark Lord. 

Then Severus heard a deadly malicious voice issue from Ron's throat. Severus never would have believed a Weasley capable of such malice if he had not heard it himself. 

"Don't you _fucking_ move, you bastard."

~*~ TBC ~*~


	12. Chapter 12: Fighting

****

Chapter Twelve

Fighting

Draco and Ron got off of Voldemort's chest. The boys moved together, unconsciously blocking Harry from view. They wore matching sneers on their lips as they gazed down at the Dark Lord.

  
"Alright. Up." Ron growled, still pointing both wands at the man lying on the ground before them. "Now, before I have to _make _you."

  
Voldemort stood slowly, his hands in the air. "Yes, yes. Aren't you two the brave little ones? A Malfoy and a Weasley, side-by-side. I never thought I would see the day…"

  
"Well, now you have," said Draco. "And this will be the last day you'll ever see."

  
"Is that so, young Malfoy? And how do you suppose you'll be ending my day?" asked Voldemort, a vicious smile spread on his face. 

  
"He won't," rasped a voice from behind Ron and Draco. "But I will."

  
Ron and Draco's heads swiveled quickly behind them. Voldemort's eyebrows raised in surprise. They watched the teen slowly, painfully uncurl himself, and push himself up to standing. Then the three boys turned their eyes to Voldemort.

  
Draco Malfoy's eyes were filled with loathing, but also with fear. He knew how much of the life he'd always known he was putting on the line right now.

  
Ron Weasley's eyes shone with anger and the hint of pride that he was taking on the Dark Lord with his best friend.

  
And Harry Potter's eyes blazed with fury and contempt no one but Voldemort had ever seen before. He knew there was no turning back now. And that the prophecy would be fulfilled that day.

  
"Now's the time, Tom," said Harry evenly. "Ron, may I have his wand?"

  
Ron nodded and handed over Voldemort's wand, not taking his eyes off its owner. Harry took it and examined it closely. As he did this, he said two simple words. "Back up."

  
Ron and Draco looked expectantly at Voldemort. The Dark Lord didn't move. 

  
"No. Ron. Draco. Back up." Harry looked between his best friend and his… whatever Draco was to him now. When each teen opened their mouths to protest, Harry shook his head. "Do as I say. And trust."

  
Draco and Ron nodded and, with their eyes and wands still trained on Voldemort, they backed away to the edge of the clearing.

  
"Now, Tom. It's just you and me." Harry smiled grimly. 

  
~ " * " ~

  
When Ron and Draco reached the edge of the clearing, Ron stumbled over something. There was a pair of grunts and Ron landed in a heap.

  
Right on top of Severus Snape.

  
"Why aren't you out there, sir?" asked Draco. "Why didn't you make yourself known?"

  
"Because, you buffoon, if I did, I would be killed. You've seen the Betrayal Ritual," sneered Snape. He and Draco shivered involuntarily. "Besides which, it's up to Potter now."

  
Draco nodded, saying nothing. The two teens and one man turned their eyes to the clearing. Draco frowned in worry. _Come on, Harry_.

  
~ " * " ~

  
Albus Dumbledore swept along the Forest path quickly, Hermione, Seamus, and Pansy fighting to keep up. 

  
"Nearly there," said Dumbledore. "Just past this fork in the path…"

  
A noise was heard to the left. Hermione started and looked around to see what made the sound. She gasped and then giggled. The other two teens looked at her quizzically. She had stopped by the fork, and was now staring and covering her mouth with both hands to keep her giggling quiet.

  
Seamus and Pansy, curious, glanced at the headmaster's retreating back, and went back to see what Hermione was giggling at. Once they reached her side, they both let out a gasp.

  
Then Seamus whooped appreciatively. "Go Blaise, go!" he cried. 

  
Parvati and Blaise threw themselves apart and stared around wildly. When their eyes landed on their classmates, the couple turned a matching shade of crimson. Blaise cleared his throat. "Erm, hi guys! Where have you been?"

  
~ " * " ~

  
Dumbledore rushed on, knowing full well that he'd lost his students somewhere behind him. One might wonder how Dumbledore would be able to find the clearing without their help. But then one would have to remember that Dumbledore had been at Hogwarts for a very long time so therefore he knew his way around most everywhere. After another couple minutes of swift and silent hiking through the Forbidden Forest, the headmaster stumbled upon the group watching events unfolding from the edge of the clearing.

  
Quite literally.

  
"Ouch! What the- Oh." Ron stopped his whispered tirade before it started when he realized who it was that had nearly fallen on top of him. "Hello, Headmaster."

  
"Mister Weasley. Thank you for helping to cushion my fall. And you too, Mister Malfoy," said Dumbledore, standing up. The waving limbs that had been wiggling underneath him stopped as Draco regained his ability to breathe.

  
"No problem," rasped Draco, massaging his windpipe.

  
"So, what's happened?" asked Dumbledore.

  
"These two and Potter were facing Draco's father, the Dark Lord, and somehow Peter Pettigrew," started Snape.

  
"Yes, I've known he was back with Voldemort," said Dumbledore, his eyes flashing in annoyance. "Do continue."

  
Snape nodded, greasy hair falling limply into his eyes. "When I got here, Draco and Weasley were facing off against Lucius and Pettigrew, while Potter was facing the Dark Lord. At the same time, these two brought down Lucius and Pettigrew and put them in Full-Body Binds and then they tackled the Dark Lord and-"

  
"Oh for heaven's sake, Severus. Just say the man's name already!" said Dumbledore grumpily. All these years, his campaign to get everyone to just say 'Voldemort' instead of all the other foolish names they gave the man was still failing miserably.

  
"They tackled _the Dark Lord_," started Snape again, still refusing to say the name. "right as he hit Harry with the Crutiatus. They took his wand, and then Harry got up and told Weasley and Draco to leave, and now… well, look." Snape pointed into the clearing where Voldemort and Harry were facing each other, their wands outstretched and poised for attack.

  
~ " * " ~

  
"So, _Danny_, what shall we do now I wonder?" Voldemort sneered, his wand firmly back in his hand.

  
Harry sneered back. "Oh, you can call me 'Harry' again, Tommy Boy. I was a bit… out of my head, shall we say." Harry tilted his head to the side and shrugged a bit. "Pity you like to torture people before you kill them. You might have actually had a chance then. Ah, well. As the Muggles say… You snooze, you lose." Harry smiled cheekily, then took up a dueling stance and glared at Voldemort. "Right then, Old-Man Fart. Are you ready for hell?"

  
Voldemort sneered and he took on a similar posture. "The question is not am I ready for hell, boy, but are you ready to finally meet your parents?" 

  
Harry stiffened slightly, but forced the comment to the back of his mind as he stared down the man who had wreaked so much havoc over the last few decades. At once, he felt a surge of pain in his scar telling him Voldemort was about to attack. He was right.

  
"_Imperio_!"

  
Harry felt his mind go blank, not unlike the feeling he woke up with that afternoon. He felt no pain whatsoever. Actually, he really felt nothing at all. After a moment, he heard a soft voice float through his mind.

  
"_Walk forward, Harry_." Harry wondered why, and the answer was promptly returned. "_Great things lie before you_." 

  
_Oh, that's nice_, thought Harry cheerfully. He started moving slowly forward, the soft voice encouraging him the whole way. When he was a mere six feet from Voldemort, the voice spoke again.

  
"_Hold out your wand_." 

  
Harry started to put out his wand arm. When it was nearly stretched out, a new voice entered his head. "_Why should I_?"

  
"_Hold out your wand_," the first voice said again.

  
"_No, I don't think I want to_," said the second.

  
"_Hand over the wand, Harry_," said the first voice, which was now becoming quite menacing. "_Now_."

  
Harry's mind was starting to clear as he fought against the curse. Another minute of the voices feuding in his mind and he shouted, "_NO_!" and flung his arms out wildly. 

  
Both his and Voldemort's wands flew out of their owner's fingers. Voldemort's flew several feet away, across the clearing. Harry's flew into the brush of the Forest. Harry's eyes widened in fear and he scampered off to where he saw his wand land as Voldemort did the same. Harry knelt at the edge of the clearing opposite the path he'd followed to get there. Laying nearby, and still stuck in the Full-Body Bind, was Pettigrew. Harry felt around in the brush, searching for the familiar feel his wand's wood that was quite unlike the fallen twigs and branches there. 

  
He felt his scar prickle again. He knew that Voldemort was about to try and kill him this time, and Harry had no wand to protect himself. He crawled quickly to Pettigrew's side and rolled him over so the older man was like a shield for him. Pettigrew's eyes grew wide, staring in fear at Harry. Harry winced and mumbled, "You owe me." The fear was intensified in Pettigrew's eyes and Harry looked away, ducking behind the man who had betrayed his father. Just in time, too, because the next instant, Harry heard "_Avada Kedavra_" and Pettigrew went completely limp, nearly crushing Harry.

  
A roar of rage was heard, and Harry dashed out from behind Pettigrew. He needed his wand now or he was done for. A memory flashed into his head from the summer before fifth year, and he put out his hand and muttered "_Lumos_." his wand flared to life an inch from his fingertips and he stood.

  
"_Avada Kedavra_!" 

  
Harry dodged the spell as only a great Quidditch player could. He countered with "_Furnunculus_!" and ran. 

  
He turned just as Voldemort was about to hit him with a "_Crucio_!" The spell zinged past him, catching him on the arm. The spell ripped through his sleeve like a knife and sliced into his wand arm. He pulled his arm to him, clapping his other hand over the wound and angry red blood gushed over his fingers.

  
He ducked out of the way of another dose of the same curse, most likely better aimed this time, and sent back "_Ciechi_!" Voldemort screamed in agony and anger as his sight was ripped from him.

  
Harry grinned at the sightless Dark Lord, letting go of his arm. "Ah, you see, Lady Foldyskirt," Voldemort roared again at being addressed so rudely, and not for the first time that night. "You see, you keep forgetting to check your outdated spell books." Harry was walking around slowly, changing his direction every time Voldemort sent another dose of the Crutiatus Curse in his general direction. "If you _had_," Harry continued, twirling his wand between his fingers and the slit in his arm all but forgotten, "you would know the dodging spell for that curse. Shame I'm not nice enough to lift it, isn't it?"

  
"Potter, you will be mine. As soon as I can see again, you will be flying off to see your mother," wailed Voldemort, pawing at his eyes and sending spell after badly-aimed spell in the direction he thought Harry was.

  
Harry pointed his wand back at the fumbling dark wizard, whose spells were now being sent in the exact opposite direction from him. "I suppose I've had enough fun with you," he said calmly. Voldemort spun on his heel, aiming his wand five feet to Harry's left. Then Harry uttered the sight-giving spell. "_Vedere_!" 

  
The next instant was filled with a flurry of motion. Voldemort blinked, his sight regained, and searched around for the boy he wanted to kill. Harry sent an "_Impedimenta_!" at Voldemort, sprinted to his right a few feet and then turned. Voldemort was slowly raising his wand arm, his face twisted in fury. 

  
Harry pointed his wand at Voldemort and recited the incantation he'd been saving for this battle. "_L'amore della mia madre conquista sopra voi_!"

  
Halfway through Harry's incantation, Voldemort regained control of his movements, and he screamed "_Avada Kedavra_!"

  
Two wails of pain rang out, creating an odd harmony between them. Two bodies slumped heavily to the ground. One body was strained from the effort of its owner's spell. The other was completely lifeless.

  
Four yells came from the edge of the clearing. Ron, Draco, Snape and Dumbledore raced to Harry's motionless body. Looks of horror twisted each and every face.

  
"Nooo!"

  
~*~ TBC ~*~


	13. Chapter 13: Returning

****

Chapter Thirteen

Returning

"Harry? Harry, are you all right? Harry! Speak to me!" 

Draco was kneeling in the dirt, shaking the other boy, trying to wake him up. Draco had pulled Harry to a half-sitting position, Harry's head resting in Draco's lap. Draco looked up at Severus Snape, tears in his eyes. "Can't you do something, sir?"

Severus' normally sallow, stony face had fallen into a look not many had seen on him before. His skin had gone so pale, it looked as though his face had never seen the light of day. His usual severe look had melted, and the proof of that was welling up in his eyes as tears threatened to take a roller coaster ride down his crooked nose. He looked down at his prized student and shook his head helplessly. "I can't do anything, Draco. I'm sorry."

Ron Weasley was sitting a few feet away looking even worse than Snape, and that was quite a feat. He, too, as rosy-cheeked as Nearly-Headless Nick, and as cheerful as Moaning Myrtle. He kept throwing horrified glances toward his best friend, and shaking his head as though he were trying to shake the vision into nonexistence. He was rocking back and forth, mumbling something to the effect of "He can't be gone. He can't be gone…."

Albus Dumbledore's eyes had no twinkle to them. Whose would, though, considering the one boy on whose shoulders rested the lives of the entire wizarding world was currently laying completely limp on the knees of his least favorite peer? For the first time in an age, Dumbledore stood powerless and hopeless. 

A sudden, odd-sounding giggle startled them all out of their mourning states, and six eyes turned angrily on the giggler. 

Ron looked sheepishly back at his companions. "Sorry," he started. "I-I just got back the memory of Malfoy, the amazing bouncing ferret." He snorted again while receiving an especially dirty look from the ex-ferret in question. 

Then Ron's face fell again as the somberness of the whole situation fell upon him again. Ron looked directly at Draco. "He's not…. Is he?"

Draco and Ron stared at each other for a long moment, tears welling up in each boy's eyes. After a while, Draco just looked down at Harry's slack face sadly and brushed a stray lock of hair off the face of the boy in his arms. He let out a choked sob, bowed his head, closed his eyes, and prayed to any and all the gods he could think of…. "Please. _Please_ bring him back to me," he whispered.

~ " * " ~

Hermione, Pansy, Seamus, Blaise and Parvati followed the path back to the clearing they'd run from just hours before. They tread quickly but carefully, just in case the three men they had run from had gotten the better of their classmates and were on the way to find the rest of the group. When the quintet reached the clearing, though, they saw they had no need for fearing Lucius Malfoy, Peter Pettigrew, or Lord Voldemort.

Each teen's eyes scanned the clearing and each took in the same scene. Lucius Malfoy was laying face-down in the dirt, completely rigid and obviously still stuck in a Full-Body Bind. Peter Pettigrew was laying on his side, completely lifeless. And Lord Voldemort was laying spread-eagle on his back. A little way away from the three villains was a clump of sober-looking men.

Hermione was the first to realize why everyone's faces appeared so grave. 

"Harry!" 

She ran to Draco's side, her eyes wide in fear and grief. "Oh Merlin," she cried, "What happened?" 

Hermione stared from one gloomy face to another, looking for answers. "_What happened_?" she repeated frantically.

Dumbledore moved around the group and set a hand on her shoulder. "He and Voldemort dueled. Harry fought valiently, as always, and then-. They hit each other at the same time with deadly blows."

"No," she said, shaking her head in disbelief. "No, he's not dead. He's _not_. Harry Potter is the Boy Who Lived. He can't- He couldn't be- There's _no way _he's-" 

Ron got to his feet and folded her into his arms. "Shh, 'Mione. Shh. I know." 

Hermione's knees collapsed under her, and she and Ron dropped clumsily to the ground. He rocked her back and forth, running a hand over her hair in what he hoped was a soothing manner. Nonetheless, her sobs echoed off the trees of the clearing. 

Behind the pair, the other four students were gaping, horrified, at the bodies around them and at the sad faces of their classmates and professors. Parvati buried her face in Blaise's chest, and Pansy in Seamus'. The two boys put comforting arms around the girls, Seamus slightly more gingerly than Blaise. 

After a long time, Dumbledore took a deep breath. "We had all better get back to the castle. It is getting late, and none of us wants to spend our evening here in the Forest tonight." He conjured four stretchers and started levitating the Death Eaters' bodies onto them. 

When it came time for Harry to be put on a stretcher, Draco shook his head. "No, I'll carry him." Both Dumbledore and Snape started to protest, but Draco stayed resolute. "I'll carry him," Draco repeated insistently.

Dumbledore nodded, quelled a second objection from Severus with a stern look, and made the fourth stretcher disappear. Snape closed his still-open mouth, letting out a sigh as he did. But he let Draco slip his arms under Harry's back and knees and heave him up. Snape sent a worried look at Draco as the boy got up awkwardly, but said nothing.

Once Draco was steady on his feet, the whole group started trooping out of the forest. The stretchers with the elder Malfoy, Pettigrew, and Voldemort on them were out in front, Dumbledore following closely behind. Then came Draco carrying Harry. Ron and Hermione were next, Hermione's arm draped around Ron's neck and his arm around her waist, helping her walk on feeble legs. Hermione had stopped crying for the moment, but she looked to be on the edge of more tears. Then Blaise and Parvati, and Seamus and Pansy, both girls crying quietly and both boys trying their best to be comforting. Severus brought up the rear, keeping an eye out for any beasts that might have the intention of attacking their rag-tag group.

They emerged from the Forest slowly and made their way to the castle, just out of sight around the edge of the Forest. Over their heads, the sky was fading and stars were beginning to make their happy arrivals one by one, shining brightly. Several members of the subdued group glared disapprovingly at the stars' cheerful dancing and twinkling. And at Snape's icy glare, it seemed the stars faded in their intensity, stepping back into the shadows of the darkening sky.

~ " * " ~

When the motley crew entered the Hospital Wing, they found Madam Pomfrey with her slippered feet up on her desk, her eyes glued to the newest romance novel, _Waltzing with a Werewolf_. 

Dumbledore cleared his throat loudly and nearly scared the poor woman out of her skin. As soon as her eyes fell on not only the stretchers but the limp body laying across Draco's arms, she cried out. Throwing her book aside and dropping the fuzzy pink slippers to the floor, she hurried over to the group. 

"Oh my!" she cried as she took in who was on the stretchers. "Well, put those three on beds. I'm glad I got Hagrid's students out of here in time! Longbottom is still out cold, but that's only one bed, thank Merlin.… I don't believe it…. You-Know-Who! Here, of all places!" She waved at Dumbledore, indicating which beds to put the patients in, also waving in Draco and Harry's direction. "Do put the poor boy down, will you?" 

Everyone who wasn't hurt was milling around, trying to get close enough to Harry so they could judge for themselves whether or not he was alive. Pomfrey had different ideas, however. She tried shoo out everyone, but no one seemed in the mood to leave. After a great deal of persuasion from the headmaster, Pomfrey allowed him, Draco, Ron, and Hermione to remain in the wing to wait for the results of her tests.

Pomfrey bustled over to Peter Pettigrew first, waving her wand slowly over his body and checking for signs of life. With a frown, she shook her head. "He was such a nice boy when he was in school," she mumbled to herself. "How he got caught up with You-Know-Who, I'll never understand."

She moved on to Lucius Malfoy and removed the Body Bind. 

"Where is he? Where is my son? I'm going to _strangle _him for defying me! I'll have his neck for this!" roared Lucius furiously. He sat up quickly, spotted Draco a second later, and started to lunge for him. He stopped in his tracks, though, when he realized where he was and who was still present. "Oh! Professor Dumbledore! How are you, Headmaster?" A sour, completely fake smile formed on his lips.

Dumbledore turned cold eyes on the elder Malfoy. "I am just fine, Lucius. But I am afraid you are _not_. In fact, I believe you are in a great deal of trouble."

Mister Malfoy stayed silent for a few moments, looking around at five glaring faces. Then his eyes landed on the bodies in beds around him. He took in the immobile bodies of Pettigrew, Voldemort, and Harry with a look of mild curiosity. "Are they all-?" Mister Malfoy stared around at everyone.

"You needn't worry about them. You shall find out the same time we do." said Dumbledore as he stepped forward and pushed Mister Malfoy roughly back into the pillows of his bed. He drew his wand and conjured ropes around Malfoy's wrists and ankles. "Now, Lucius. Since we've found you in less than proper company, I'm afraid we will have to keep you restrained until the Minister comes to have a chat with you."

"What? This is an outrage! Let me go! I'm a Malfoy, for Merlin's sake! I'll have your-" But what exactly the elder Malfoy would have of Dumbledore's was lost as Dumbledore cast a Silencing Spell over him.

"Now then, Poppy, please continue with your examinations," said Dumbledore, raising an eyebrow at the nurse who was busy glaring angrily in Lucius Malfoy's direction. 

"Yes," she said, glaring once more at Mister Malfoy, "Yes, on with the exams." 

She moved toward Voldemort hesitantly, as if she were afraid he was only pretending to sleep, and was about to jump up to grab her around the throat. She waved her wand over the Dark Lord the same way she had with Pettigrew. A second later, she let out a sigh of relief. She turned shining eyes to the rest of the people in the ward and nearly smiled. "He's- You-Know-Who is-is _dead_! He's finally gone for good."

"Are you sure, Poppy?" asked Dumbledore. "Absolutely certain?"

She performed the Life-Seeking spell again, just to be sure. She nodded fervently. "One hundred percent positive. You-Know-Who is dead." She hazarded a small smile. "V-Voldemort is dead." In a fit of excitement, Pomfrey ran to Dumbledore and threw her arms around his neck. 

The surprised headmaster chuckled softly, but unhooked the nurse's arms and ducked out of her embrace. "Yes, yes. Marvelous, Poppy. But you still have one more patient to attend to, do you not?"

"Oh!" cried Pomfrey. "Yes! Potter!" She rushed to the boy's side, her joy over the final fall of the Dark Lord ebbing away quickly. At first glance, Pomfrey found the gash on the upper part of Harry's wand arm. She tore apart his shirtsleeve, scoured the cut clean, and magicked an ace-bandage around Harry's arm to stop the bleeding. She frowned as she was dressing the wound. "That's deep enough to give the poor boy another ghastly scar," she muttered.

Then she performed the same wave of her wand that she did when examining Voldemort. A grave look clouded her features. Finally, after several long, tense moments, she turned to face the others.

"He's alive," she started, and Ron, Hermione, and Draco let out the breaths they didn't even know they were holding. "But only just," she continued. "He's in very serious condition. If Harry Potter survives the night, it will be a miracle."

~*~TBC~*~


	14. Chapter 14: Agonizing

****

Chapter Fourteen

Agonizing

Dinnertime found Draco slumping down in a seat next to Harry's bed, nearly asleep. It had been a very long day for everyone, after all.

Ron and Hermione had gone to the Great Hall to get some food into their stomachs, and nick some for Draco so he could stay at Harry's bedside. They had asked Draco to come with them… Begged, really. They told him he looked like hell and that he should come eat something. He waved off their pleas with a simple "I'm not leaving him."

And he hadn't yet. Every since Pomfrey pronounced her findings from the exam, Draco had sat down by Harry's side and not moved since. Draco lifted Harry's limp hand and set a soft kiss on it. _I just wish you would wake up…._ He put Harry's hand back on the bed where it had been laying.

Draco sighed deeply and glanced around the room. His eyes fell on the empty bed that had recently held his father. He hadn't even moved when his father left.

An hour ago, Cornelius Fudge and a couple other ministry officials had come to collect Lucius Malfoy. Draco felt a twinge of guilt at helping send his father to prison, but not too much. He had never really been proud of Lucius' dealings with the Dark Lord. And he was quite happy he would never have to worry about being forced into joining the Dark Forces.

Draco's eyes wandered back to Harry's face, pale and slack. _Oh Harry_, Draco thought sadly, _why did you have to fight him alone? You must have known you'd get hurt. Please wake up…._ Draco leaned toward the unconscious boy and ran his fingers down Harry's cheek. Draco whispered his silent plea. "Please, Harry… wake up."

Nothing. Draco sighed sadly and looked up toward the door. Ron and Hermione were just coming back from the Great Hall, grim looks on their faces.

"No change?" asked Hermione, passing a filled plate to Draco.

"None," said Draco, slowly tucking into the turkey on his plate. "None at all."

"Damn," said Ron. He dropped heavily into his chair next to Harry's bed. Hermione settled herself on the bed next to Harry, a book on one knee, her meal on the other. The three students sat together yet each very alone in their thoughts and they ate in silence.

" "

Some time around three in the morning, Draco's eyes drifted open. He was having a lot of trouble sleeping in the very uncomfortable chair in the Hospital Wing, so he kept waking up. Mostly, he was quite angry at the situation, but there was a part of him that was happy he kept waking up. Whenever he was awake, his eyes drifted to Harry's still form.

Harry had not yet stirred. Draco's heart was aching with a pain he'd never really felt before that day. He just wanted Harry to be alright. He reached forward and brushed Harry's bangs off his face. His fingers still trailing across the lightning bolt on Harry's forehead, Draco voiced his new mantra again, this time not bothering to drop his voice to a whisper. "Please, Harry… wake up."

As though he had been waiting to hear Draco's words, Harry's eyes started to slip open slowly. Draco retracted his hand quickly, sat back in his seat, and tried to look like he was dozing. He heard the rustle of crisply starched sheets as Harry sat up and looked around. Then Draco heard a clatter as Harry's hand hit his glasses in its search for them on the bedside table.

Draco could almost feel Harry's eyes drifting around the room and landing on Hermione and Ron. Then Draco figured Harry's eyes must have finally landed on him. Harry's confused "M-Malfoy?" confirmed Draco's suspicions.

Draco let his eyes flutter gracefully open. He looked around in faked confusion, finally letting his gaze land on Harry after a moment. "Oh. You're awake then."

Harry stared at Draco, obviously completely puzzled by Draco's presence. He nodded mutely.

"Well good." Draco nodded curtly. He looked at Harry, willing his eyes to become the hard steel he usually showed Harry. Inside, his heart was singing for joy because Harry had woken up. "I'll go get Pomfrey then. She'll want to know you're still alive."

Draco stood to make his way to Pomfrey's sleeping quarters, but a hand on his wrist stopped him. His skin tingled at the feeling. When he glanced down, he saw Harry's fingers wrapped around his wrist, and Harry was still staring at him. Draco frowned. "Potter, let go. Why are you staring at me?"

"What are you doing here, Malfoy?" asked Harry, letting go of Draco's wrist.

"I was making sure you were still alive so I wouldn't get in trouble for not helping you fight You-Know-Who," lied Draco easily.

Harry nodded. "Oh." He looked again in Ron and Hermione's direction. Ron's arms were dangling over the sides of the chair, his head drooped back as far as his neck would go, and his mouth had dropped open with drool spilling out.

"Weasley's quite a sight when he sleeps, isn't he?" asked Draco, trying to sneer but only ending up with an amused smirk.

"A picture of sheer magnificence, isn't he?" said Harry with a laugh. Harry's eyes landed on Hermione. She was curled up on the bed next to Harry's, her head resting lightly on top of a pile of her old textbooks, and another book held tightly to her chest. Harry raised an eyebrow and turned back to Draco with a questioning smile.

Draco bit back a smile of his own. "She's been trying to reread all our old books without leaving your side. After this afternoon's memory loss, Granger got all worried that she wouldn't remember something that would be important on some test." Draco shook his head. "Girl has a complex, I swear."

Harry laughed again. "No kidding. Try spending the last five and a half years with her goading you to study every second."

Draco shook his head again. "No thank you. One evening was bad enough." He sighed, glancing over his shoulder toward Pomfrey's office. "I should go get Pomfrey. And then I'm off to my bed, thank Merlin."

Harry opened his mouth to say more, but Draco had already started down the ward. Draco made his way to Pomfrey's office, woke her, and informed her of Harry's change in condition. As the sleepy nurse hurried off to tend to Harry, Draco slipped out the door without a backward glance.

" "

Draco lay on his back under the soft, green cotton sheets adorning his bed, trying to sleep. He couldn't. No matter how many nights he'd spent in that bed, molding it to his body, making the mattress perfect for only him, he could not bring himself to sleep's edge that night.

His mind was reeling, his brain too filled with thoughts of Harry. He was happy that Harry was all right. Ecstatic, really. But there was a huge part of Draco still worried about what would become of himself in the morning. He wouldn't be able to look at Potter without remembering what happened between them during their period of memory loss.

And he couldn't stop wondering how he had fallen for Potter…. Or when, for that matter. All Draco knew was that when he and Potter had kissed that afternoon, it was _right_. Now Draco wondered what was to become of his rivalry with Potter. It had, until that afternoon, had been raging happily on without complication.

Draco sighed, turned to his left, and settled himself on his side. He hoped this position would be more sleep-inducing than the last. He closed his eyes and prayed for sleep to come quickly so he could stop thinking for a while.

Unfortunately, Sleep was on holiday that night.

" "

Harry sank back into his pillows when Madame Pomfrey was finished her latest inspection of him. It seemed that his energy, physical and magical both, had been drained incredibly and thrown him into something of a coma. Once he had a chance to rest and renew his strength a little, his magic brought him out of the coma.

Harry's hand trailed up to his face where his glasses were still resting. He pulled them off and set them back on the bedside table. He closed his eyes and tried to get himself back to sleep, but too much was going on in his head to let him drift off quite yet.

__

Why was Malfoy here? wondered Harry. Draco had given him an excuse, but Harry wasn't buying it. Draco could care less about Harry living… right? Harry took a deep breath and rolled onto his right side. How was he supposed to act around Draco tomorrow. Pomfrey had said that as soon as she thought Harry was up to it, he would be back to classes.

Harry let out another sigh, rolled onto his back again. Harry wished he could just sleep instead of worrying about Draco's intentions and why Draco had been at his bedside.

Unfortunately, Sleep wasn't planning on coming back from its holiday any time soon, not even if it was the Boy-Who-Lived who was begging for it.

" "

Ron snorted and woke up. He looked at Harry's bed. He didn't see any change at all. With a frown, he glanced over his shoulder at Hermione.

He smiled. _She's adorable when she sleeps. I just hope she'll stay this adorable when she finds out who did that Memory Spell…._ Ron grabbed the blanket from the foot of Hermione's bed and pulled it up to her chin. He placed a soft kiss on her forehead and settled back down, intending to go back to sleep.

When he was settled again, he glanced over toward Draco to check- but Draco wasn't sitting in the chair on the other side of Harry's bed anymore. Ron glared angrily. _Of course,_ thought Ron savagely. _Once we're back to normal, you realize that you were snogging Harry all day, so you run for the hills. How very Slytherin of you._

Ron shut his eyes furiously, his arms knotted tightly over his chest.

Sleep's holiday was rudely interrupted a second later as Ron snatched at it grumpily and fell asleep quickly.

" "

A half an hour later, Neville Longbottom sat up and looked around in confusion.

"Where am I?" he asked nobody in particular, which was nice, since nobody was particularly awake at the moment. He looked around for his classmates and Hagrid but saw none of them. He frowned. "What happened to the wittulsnees?"

TBC


End file.
